May 25, 2012 11:28 PM IST

A Dragon By The Tail (In Outer Space): SpaceX Makes It To Space Station

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. has become the first non-governmental agency to fly to the International Space Station and dock with the orbiting laboratory.

The era of commercial space exploration began Tuesday morning as private company SpaceX successfully launched a rocket from Cape Canaveral. The company hopes it will become the first commercial vessel to dock and deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company, which is controlled by PayPal founder Elon Musk, launched the Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Dragon ship, on Tuesday. It arrived Friday at the space station at 9:56 am EDT, and astronauts on the space station used the structure's robotic arm to grab the Dragon and dock it at 12:02 pm EDT, said to NASA spokesman Kyle Herron.

"This is truly a momentous accomplishment for SpaceX and for the industry," Michael Lopez-Alegria, president of Commercial Spaceflight Federation, said.

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