Spacex have made history today as the first private firm to launch a vessel to the International Space Station. The launch took place at 3:44 am local time from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Dragon capsule will take over 1,000 lbs worth of supplies to the orbiting research outpost.

Three days behind schedule, the Falcon 9 Rocket was due to Launch last Saturday, but had to be postponed after a faulty check valve led to high pressure in the central engine. After fixing the problem, the company was eager to see its spacecraft sent off to the stars as soon as possible.

The simulated footage above depicts the planned docking of the Dragon capsule at the International Space Station. Due to reach the artificial satellite on May 25<sup>th, the six astronauts on board the ISS will use the station's robotic arm to capture the capsule and take on the provisions.

If the journey is a success, there could be a very bright future for the young company founded by Paypal entrepreneur Elon Musk, as Spacex has a $1.6 Billion dollar contract from NASA for future supply missions.

After NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last year, Spacex appears set to pave the way for future galactic travel, as a new space race begins not between nations but in the private sector.