SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, is a space transport company headquartered in California. The company has contracted with NASA as well as private sector companies.

On this day, December 8th, in 2010, SpaceX became the first privately held company to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft. The spacecraft was launched at 10:43 a.m. EST on the morning of December 8th.

The launch of this COTS Demo Flight 1 was the first demonstration flight for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. The test flight was meant to test the orbital maneuvering of the spacecraft.