SpaceX [3] has already made [4] history [5] a number of times, but the poster child for the private space company [6] generation has just done it again, with a successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule loaded with supplies for the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The launch preceded almost without a hitch, and even now the capsule is soaring over our heads en route to orbit. During the first commercial mission to supply the ISS, the Falcon 9 rocket experienced a catastrophic explosion in one of its first-stage engines--but the remaining eight were able to compensate, and the vehicle reached orbit successfully.

The launch was streamed live online and CEO Elon Musk, himself the subject of much news [7] coverage [8] recently, even tweeted [9] an amazing photo from the launch room:

UPDATE: Thruster pod flaws

Elon Musk has tweeted [10] that there's been a flaw in some of the thruster pods that the Dragon needs to maneuver in space, preventing its deployment of the solar arrays it needs for power. The company is working to fix the solution via ground commands.

The future of space travel is at least partly in private hands like these. Can a commercial company reach the Moon or Mars do you think?