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Falcon 1 lifting off from Omelek Island on its fourth flight, September 28 2008
September 28 (Flight 4) · 2008

Falcon 1 Success — First Private Liquid-Fueled Orbital Rocket

Proved a private company could do what only nation-states had achieved. Unlocked the commercial space era and the path to CRS/Dragon.

Photo: SpaceX · CC0

First successful orbital flight of a privately funded, fully liquid-fueled rocket. First private company to reach orbit. Pivotal — saved the company and unlocked NASA confidence. Total dev cost ~$90–100M internal.

Source: spacex.com

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