US private company SpaceX will launch its Dragon space freighter on a next resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in October. It will be the first of the company’s 12 commercial flights to the ISS under a 2008 contract with the NASA as the initial successful mission in May was considered a test run. NASA administrator Charles Bolden announced that SpaceX is now fully certified to deliver cargo to the orbital station.  The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX to fly cargo to the ISS after NASA retired its space shuttle fleet last year.
NASA also awarded SpaceX a commercial crew development contract in April 2011 to develop a reusable spacecraft to carry up to seven astronauts, or a combination of personnel and cargo, to and from the orbital station.  At present, NASA pays Russia $63 million for every astronaut who flies to the ISS aboard Soyuz spacecraft.

(Source: futurenow321)