THE first launch of the SpaceX corporation鈥檚 Falcon 9 rocket this month could change the course of human space flight.
NASA has voiced support for using private rockets as 鈥渟pace taxis鈥�, ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station. No one will ride on this Falcon 9 flight, but failure will encourage congressional opposition to NASA鈥檚 plan.
Falcon 9 boasts improvements on many other rockets. Towers grip the rocket after it ignites while systems are checked (inset). With its nine engines, it can reach orbit if one or more fails, and its stages are split pneumatically rather than with unpredictable explosive bolts.
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