A Picture-Perfect Milestone Launch for SpaceX’s Falcon9

Falcon 9 made history in 2012 when the SpaceX rocket delivered Dragon into orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station. Yesterday, following two postponements, Falcon 9 launched its first commercial payload.

by

December 4, 2013

Get the Big Think newsletter on Substack

Falcon 9 made history in 2012 when the SpaceX rocket delivered Dragon into orbit for a rendezvous with the International Space Station. Yesterday, following two postponements, Falcon 9 launched its first commercial payload.

Read more about the milestone launch here.

bigthinkeditor Full Profile

A grid of eight open magazines on display above text inviting viewers to join for access to classes, print issues, community, and more. A yellow “Join Today” button is below.

A middle-aged man with short gray hair and a receding hairline is smiling, wearing a dark t-shirt against a light blue background.

Productivity for Mortals

Oliver Burkeman

Author, “Meditations for Mortals”

A person with glasses and a bald head is looking slightly to the side, centered in a green-tinted square frame.

AI and the Future of Civilization

Yuval Noah Harari

Historian and Philosopher, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Best-Selling Author

Abstract geometric design featuring concentric circles, quartered background, and scattered solid and outlined dots in blue, green, and white hues.

The 6 Disciplines of Strategic Thinking

Michael Watkins

Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change, IMD Business School, and Author, “The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking”

A woman with long hair and glasses wearing a blazer, posed with her hand under her chin, looks at the camera. The photo is overlaid with a semi-transparent colored square.

Radical Respect at Work

Co-Founder, Radical Candor, and Author, Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better

A middle-aged bald man with light skin and blue eyes, wearing a dark crewneck shirt, looks directly at the camera against a plain background.

No-Nonsense Leadership

Founding Partner, Andreessen Horowitz and Author, The Hard Thing About Hard Things

An older man with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a blue striped shirt and a red sweater, is framed by an orange translucent square overlay.

A Primatologist’s Guide to Human Behavior

C.H. Candler Professor Emeritus at EMORY University, Atlanta, GA

A wall clock is combined with the silhouette of a snail against a textured blue and light blue background.

Slow Productivity

Computer Scientist and Author, Slow Productivity

Related Content

T-Minus: Counting down the top 10 space stories of 2024

Featuring SpaceX's "Mechazilla," a first-of-its-kind spacewalk, and more.

by Kristin Houser

A rocket launches with flames visible at the bottom. The text "T-MINUS" is superimposed over the image.

T-Minus: 10 milestones in commercial spaceflight

Reusable rockets, moon landers, civilian astronauts, and more.

by Kristin Houser

A rocket launches into the sky against a sunset backdrop, with "T-MINUS" text overlay in bold letters.

T-Minus: SpaceX’s Starship vs. Boeing’s Starliner

Comparing Elon Musk's Mars rocket to NASA's new ride.

by Kristin Houser

A rocket launches from a pad at a coastal space center with ocean in background. The word "TMNTUS" is overlaid in large letters.

SpaceX successfully launches world’s first “space factory” — and it’s making drugs

Particles behave differently when freed from the force of gravity. A new space factory aims to use this to synthesize pharmaceuticals.

by Kristin Houser

an artist's rendering of a space shuttle flying over the earth.

Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.

© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.