the SpaceX Dragon, a privately owned space module, became the first of its kind to dock with the International Space Station. This is the first step in NASA's latest strategy (due to budget cuts) that will allow private companies to handle orbital and "routine" operations. It is NASA's goal to focus on larger projects, such as Mars exploration, while the private sector focuses on bringing supplies to and from the station without having to rely on the Russian Soyuz rocket.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that the head of SpaceX — PayPal creator Elon Musk — is very pleased with this morning's historical event. He even went so far as to project that they will be able to transport astronauts within the next three or four years. SpaceX, which is short for Space Explorations Technologies Corp., is the first among several private companies that are trying to buy their way into the space race since the final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis last July.
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