Assembling Falcon 9

SpaceX's projected workhorse rocket, the Falcon 9, has arrived at Cape Kennedy in pieces, and the work of assembling the launcher is underway. When that is completed and the company is ready to go, the demonstration flight NASA demands before going ahead with assigning SpaceX cargo missions to ISS will be flown. Launch for that flight, according to SpaceX, is from one to three months away.

With the announcement of President Obama's new NASA policy, which relies on private companies being able to ferry astronauts to and from ISS, a successful demonstration flight of Falcon 9 would have importance beyond boosting the bottom line of SpaceX. It would be solid evidence that the Obama approach can work at a time Congress is likely to be extremely cautious.