Falcon 9 launches on first flight

6/4/10 ~ 2:45 p.m.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket made a near-flawless maiden flight from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on June 4.

Nearly at the end of the four hour launch window, the Falcon 9 achieved an almost perfect target orbit. The only significant anomaly
was the first stage, designed to parachute into the Atlantic and be recovered, breaking up upon reentry.

Final four images show a pathfinder version of Falcon 9 on the pad in early 2009.