SpaceX was founded in 2002 and has developed the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to launch its Dragon capsule to fulfill its contract of delivering cargo to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services program. However, SpaceX has other, more ambitious plans for its Dragon spacecraft.

In 2012, Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft ever to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Up to now there have been six Dragon resupply missions to the ISS, although none have been crewed. The first crewed mission is currently scheduled for 2017. However, members of Congress are working to restrict funds – which could see that first flight slip to no-earlier-than 2018.