The first rocket mission by a private company to the International Space Station is to be launched on Saturday in what has been hailed as a "giant leap" for the commercialisation of space.California-based SpaceX, run by South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, is attempting to become the first private venture to reach the $100 billion (£66 billion) outpost 240 miles above Earth.
It's Falcon 9 rocket and unmanned 19ft by 12ft Dragon capsule were due to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday morning. The launch was orginally planned for May 7 but faced delays.
Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former Nasa astronaut and space station commander, said: "It is, by all accounts, an important step, bordering on a giant leap, for commercial space." After retiring its shuttle fleet las year Nasa is currently dependent on foreign partners, including Russia, to get cargo and astronauts to the space station. It is looking to private ventures to take over the role in coming years, which has triggered a commercial space race.
In December 2010 SpaceX successfully launched a test Dragon capsule into orbit and returned it to Earth where it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
The latest flight will see it undertake a two day jouney to the space station where it will berth. The ship will deliver a "grocery run" consisting of 1,000lbs of food and clothing. It will also be carrying several scientific experiments, including one to assess if grape juice ferments faster in space.
President Barack Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, said it was a "thoroughly exciting moment in the history of spaceflight" and "the beginning of a new way of doing business for Nasa."
If successful SpaceX will be paid the remainder of a £264 million agreement it has with Nasa, and would begin a £1.06 billion contract for a dozen more cargo flights. It hopes to eventually take astronauts to the space station.
Ahead of the launch Mr Musk, who is chief executive and chief designer of SpaceX, said: "If there is any divine being that can influence the outcome of this event, I will ask for favour from that divine being."
The first rocket mission by a private company to the International Space Station is to be launched on Saturday in what has been hailed as a "giant leap" for the commercialisation of space.California-based SpaceX, run by South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, is attempting to become the first private venture to reach the $100 billion (£66 billion) outpost 240 miles above Earth.
It's Falcon 9 rocket and unmanned 19ft by 12ft Dragon capsule were due to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday morning. The launch was orginally planned for May 7 but faced delays.
Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former Nasa astronaut and space station commander, said: "It is, by all accounts, an important step, bordering on a giant leap, for commercial space." After retiring its shuttle fleet las year Nasa is currently dependent on foreign partners, including Russia, to get cargo and astronauts to the space station. It is looking to private ventures to take over the role in coming years, which has triggered a commercial space race.
In December 2010 SpaceX successfully launched a test Dragon capsule into orbit and returned it to Earth where it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
The latest flight will see it undertake a two day jouney to the space station where it will berth. The ship will deliver a "grocery run" consisting of 1,000lbs of food and clothing. It will also be carrying several scientific experiments, including one to assess if grape juice ferments faster in space.
President Barack Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, said it was a "thoroughly exciting moment in the history of spaceflight" and "the beginning of a new way of doing business for Nasa."
If successful SpaceX will be paid the remainder of a £264 million agreement it has with Nasa, and would begin a £1.06 billion contract for a dozen more cargo flights. It hopes to eventually take astronauts to the space station.
Ahead of the launch Mr Musk, who is chief executive and chief designer of SpaceX, said: "If there is any divine being that can influence the outcome of this event, I will ask for favour from that divine being."
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