AirSpaceMag.com

It’s probably premature to declare SpaceX an established launch company on the basis of yesterday’s successful orbiting of Malaysia’s Razaksat satellite (see video below). I doubt they’ll want to gloat too long, given the technical and financial risks inherent in the rocket business, and the difficult road ahead. Still, Elon Musk and crew must be feeling pretty good right now.

In seven years, SpaceX has grown from a dream to a growing company with 800 employees, major NASA contracts, and a busy launch schedule. Next up is the debut of the larger Falcon 9 rocket—not from the tiny Kwajalein range in the remote Pacific, but from the big boy launch site, Cape Canaveral.

This presentation by Musk last month to the Augustine commission on the future of the space program gives a pretty good idea where SpaceX is headed.