SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has successfully carried out the first of a series of test flights, marking a significant milestone for commercial spaceflight.

The two-stage rocket placed the Dragon capsule, a mock-up of a spacecraft that will eventually transport humans to space, into orbit after a 9.5-minute trip.

The first and second stage of the 180ft rocket separated three minutes and six seconds into the flight.

The launch marks a key event in development of commercial launchers capable of carrying cargo and astronauts to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

In 2008, Nasa awarded contracts worth $3.1bn to SpaceX to deliver cargo to the ISS between 2011 and 2016.

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