Friday, November 22nd, 2024

SpaceX: What is it?


16 July 2020  

Time taken to read : 2 Minute


  • A
  • A
  • A

SpaceX is a California-based private American aerospace manufacturer founded in 2002 in a bid to build affordable rockets and enable the colonization of Mars.

It also aimed to reduce space transportation costs. The firm, since its creation, has gained fame as a pioneering rocket firm.

It launched its first privately-funded liquid-propellant rocket in 2008 to reach orbit. It became the first private company to launch an object into orbit around the sun.

Who owns it?

Billionaire Elon Mush founded the company. Musk at the age of 30, made his initial fortune by selling his two very successful companies, PayPal and Zip2.

He then decided that his next venture would be a privately-funded space company. This South-African spent a third of his fortune at the time, $100million to get SpaceX going.

When was the SpaceX astronaut launch?

The SpaceX astronaut launch, which was dubbed as Demo-2, set off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, at 8:23pm BST (3:23 pm ET) on May 30, 2020.

Missions and projects

SpaceX has completed several successful missions, including the first liquid-fuelled rocket to reach orbit in September 2008. Since then, the company has completed a mission nearly every year.

SpaceX also became the first private company to send a spacecraft to the ISS in 2012. Likewise, it became the first private company to send an object into orbit, and the being a car from Elon’s other company Tesla.

Likewise, in October 2018, the company made another world first by landing a rocket back on the Californian soil.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Publish Date : 16 July 2020 06:20 AM

Tremor felt in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: An earthquake struck Kathmandu last night, according to the

Six reasons why RSP called off its street protests

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which launched street protests

Today’s news in a nutshell

KATHMANDU: Khabarhub brings you a glimpse of major developments of

People’s representatives should be responsible for public service: Prachanda

DAMAULI: CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairperson and former Prime Minister Pushpa

Minister Yadav directs smooth distribution of Melamchi Water in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: Minister for Water Supply, Pradip Yadav, has instructed daily