Launch Images of the SpaceX Dragon's First Flight to the Space Station

By Nancy Atkinson - May 23, 2012 at 10:18 PM UTC | Space Exploration
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[caption id="attachment_95418" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="The SpaceX Falcon9- Dragon, COTS C2+ Launch. Credit Melanie Lee"]

[/caption] [caption id="attachment_95376" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket's 9 engines ignite during launch from SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, May 22, 2012. Credit: SpaceX"]

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[caption id="attachment_95380" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="The crowd cheers as Falcon 9 lights up the sky. Credit: SpaceX"]

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[caption id="attachment_95362" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket clears the tower after liftoff at 3:44 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.,on the first commercial mission to the International Space Station. Credit: Ken Kremer"]

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[caption id="attachment_95378" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Liftoff! SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, May 22, 2012. Credit: SpaceX"]

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[caption id="attachment_95381" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="View from the Dragon spacecraft as it orbits the Earth. This picture shows one of the two solar arrays that powers the Dragon spacecraft. Credit: SpaceX"]

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[caption id="attachment_95382" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="View from the Dragon spacecraft as it orbits the earth. This shots shows the opening of the guidance, navigation and control door. Credit: SpaceX."]

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[caption id="attachment_95379" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on the SpaceX launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, moments before liftoff, May 22, 2012. Credit: SpaceX"]

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[caption id="attachment_95383" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="SpaceX's Falcon 9 on the launchpad. Credit: SpaceX."]

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Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com