SpaceX: the private space race pace-setters Hundreds of SpaceX and NASA guests poured into the launching area in the wee hours of Tuesday, eager to see firsthand the start of this new commercial era. In December 2010, SpaceX became the first private company to launch a spacecraft into orbit and retrieve it. That test flight of a Dragon capsule paved the way for this mission, which also is meant to culminate with a splashdown of the capsule in the Pacific. This newest capsule is supposed to remain at the space station for a week before bringing back experiments and equipment. None of the other types of current cargo ships can return safely; they burn up on the way down. SpaceX and NASA officials stress this is a demonstration flight and that even if something goes wrong, much can be learned. "Whatever happens today, we could not have done it without (at) NASA, but errors are ours alone and me most of all," Musk said via Twitter right before Saturday's launch abort. The company will try again no matter what; two more Dragon supply missions, in fact, are planned this year. Mr Musk, 40, is the chief executive officer and chief designer for SpaceX. He also runs Tesla Motors, his electric car company. Future projects in planning stages include a spaceflight launch system called the Falcon Heavy that uses rocket engines, that if all goes to plan would be the most powerful rocket in the US inventory since the Apollo era; as well as a NASA robotic mission to mars in 2018. Mr Musk has state his intention for the company is to help create a permanent human presence on Mars. NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last summer. The three remaining shuttles - Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis - are now relegated to museums.