Private Company Launches Rocket Into Orbit

A privately financed company launched a rocket of its own design successfully into orbit on Sunday night, ushering in what the company's founders hope will be a new era of spaceflight.



It was the fourth launching attempt by the company, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, which was founded by Elon Musk, an Internet entrepreneur born in South Africa.

"We've made orbit!" Mr. Musk exclaimed to his employees at the company's headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., proclaiming the moment "awesome."

"There were a lot of people who thought we couldn't do it -- a lot, actually," he said after thanking his employees. "But, you know, the saying goes, fourth time's the charm."