By Lila Verma
On October 8, 2012, SpaceX delivered 400 kg of supplies to the ISS using the Dragon spacecraft. This was the first cargo mission by a private company, laying the foundation for a long-term partnership with NASA.
Image: Wikipedia
On February 6, 2018, Falcon Heavy launched Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster into space. It was the world’s most powerful rocket at the time, with the car carrying a “Don’t Panic” sign and playing music.
Image: Unsplash
On May 30, 2020, SpaceX launched NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS) using Falcon 9 and Dragon. This was the first crewed launch from American soil since 2011.
Image: SpaceX
On November 5, 2020, four astronauts (three from NASA and one from JAXA) traveled to the ISS and stayed for six months. This was the first fully operational crewed mission, and it reused the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket.
Image: SpaceX
On November 10, 2021, four astronauts spent 200 days on the ISS and grew chili peppers. This marked the first time food plants were cultivated in space, with German astronaut Matthias Maurer among the crew.
Image: Wikipedia
On November 23, 2021, Falcon 9 launched NASA’s DART mission, which successfully altered the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos. This was the first successful attempt to protect Earth from an asteroid.
Image: Wikipedia
On October 13, 2023, Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Psyche mission to the asteroid 16 Psyche. This mission aims to explore the origins of the solar system and the potential for space mining.
Image: NASA
On September 28, 2024, two astronauts (one from NASA and one from Roscosmos) prepared for a rescue mission to the ISS.
Image: Wikipedia
On October 10, 2024, Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Europa Clipper to Jupiter’s moon Europa. It will search for signs of life in Europa’s icy ocean by 2030.
Image: NASA Blog
On March 14, 2025, four astronauts (from NASA and JAXA) paved the way to rescue Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS. After Boeing’s Starliner failed, SpaceX took responsibility for bringing back the astronauts stranded for nine months.
Image: NASA Blog