July – SpaceX performed the first commercial mission of its Falcon 1 vehicle. The two-stage, liquid oxygen/rocket-grade kerosene vehicle lifted off from the Reagan Test Site on Omelek Island, approximately 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The launch placed the RazakSAT satellite into Earth orbit for Malaysia.

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Visit the SSPI Satellite Industry Timeline to tour the decades of the Satellite Era.

The SSPI Satellite Timeline is the first interactive site on the Web to chronicle the rich and diverse history of the commercial satellite industry. Launched in October 2007 – the 50th anniversary of Sputnik – the Timeline is a learning tool for satellite professionals, students, the news media and the innovative companies that make up the industry.