Some actual good news: SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched successfully!

[backscatter712]

:woohoo:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-20006863-239.html

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.--Powered by nine first-stage engines and the vision of an internet entrepreneur, an untried Falcon 9 rocket blasted off Friday and thundered into space on a maiden voyage intended to help pave the way for commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station.

In a major milestone for the commercial launch industry, the Falcon 9's first-stage Merlin engines, fueled by liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene rocket fuel, roared to life at 2:45 p.m. EDT.

After computer checks to verify engine performance, four hydraulic hold-down clamps pulled away and the 157-foot-tall Falcon 9, riding atop a torrent of orange flame, climbed away from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Liftoff came three hours and 45 minutes into a four-hour launch window because of tests of the rocket's self-destruct system, a sailboat in the off-shore danger zone, and a last-second abort that blocked a 1:30 p.m. launch try. Details were sketchy, but the abort apparently was triggered by an out-of-limits engine reading.

Apparently, there was a lot of roll in the second stage, however, the payload, a Dragon capsule structural test rig, successfully achieved orbit.

Considering that maiden flights of new rockets frequently fail spectacularly, congratulations are in order for the folks at SpaceX.

[POAS]

1. Glad the launch went better than their video feed..

I was trying to watch it but kept losing the feed, probably more traffic than the servers could handle!