-
Pegasus
Pegasus, an air launched rocket, becomes the first launched vehicle fully developed by a private company to reach space and the first air launched rocket of any kind to reach orbit -
OCST Transfer
The Office of Commercial Space Transportation is transferred to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), becoming the FAA Administrator for space transportation -
CSXT Rocket
The Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) becomes the first amateur organization to send a rocket into space -
SpaceShipOne first manned flight
Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne conducts the first privately flown and funded manned spaceflight -
Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004
President George W. Bush signs the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, which provided a basic legal framework for commercial human spaceflight -
Genesis I
A Russian-Ukrainian rocket launches Genesis I, an experimental inflatable space habitat made by Bigelow Aerospace that is the first inflatable habitat module to reach orbit -
Falcon 1
SpaceX conducts the first successful launch of its Falcon 1 rocket -
Dragon Capsule Success
SpaceX successfully launches and recovers its Dragon capsule on its first mission -
Dragon meets ISS
The second mission of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule completes a successful rendezvous and berthing with the International Space Station -
ISEE-3 Reboot Project
A private initiative known as the ISEE-3 Reboot Project successfully contacts and takes control of NASA’s defunct ISEE-3 space probe -
Manfred Memorial Moon Mission
LuxSpace, an aerospace contractor based in Luxembourg, Launches the Manfred Memorial Moon Mission, the first private payload sent to the moon -
U.S Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act
President Barack Obama signs the U.S Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, also known as the spurring private aerospace competitiveness and entrepreneurship act -
New Shepard
Blue Origin successfully launches its New Shepard launch system into space and lands it vertically, making it the first VTVL rocket to land on Earth from space. -
Falcon 9 rocket lands at Landing Zone 1
SpaceX lands the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, marking the first recovery of a VTVL stage from an orbital rocket