They made it! SpaceX has successfully launched its Falcon-1 rocket and payload into an Earth orbit (press release). And not before time – this was the fourth attempt. (see Nature coverage of the last unsuccessful launch in August)

Private spaceflight is now set to be taken much more seriously, and the news has spread far and wide.

It’s also hit the blogosphere pretty widely as well – everyone is delighted. Congratulations says Bad Astronomy, while Gizmodo mentions fleetingly the story that I really want to know the answer to – did Scotty’s ashes go up as well this time?

Wired is very impressed, and focusses on those non-believers following three unsuccessful launches. Clearly Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and funder, is a man who isn’t shy when it comes to aiming high. “We are going to be taking over for the Space Shuttle when it retires,” Wired quote him as saying after the launch.

And that could happen – next up for SpaceX is their Falcon-9 rocket which is bigger and uglier than Falcon-1 and might be just able to take people to the space station. This is a good time to be Elon Musk.

Image: SpaceX