The SpaceX team kicked off 2010 with the successful full duration orbit insertion firing of the Falcon 9 second stage at the Texas test site. This was the final stage firing required for launch, and the second stage will soon be packaged for shipment and should arrive at Cape Canaveral by end of month. Depending on how well full vehicle integration goes, launch should occur one to three months later.

2009 was an exciting year for SpaceX. In July, with the successful launch of RazakSAT, Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to put a commercial satellite in orbit. That same month, DragonEye — SpaceX's Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor — launched on NASA's STS-127 shuttle mission and successfully completed flight system trials in preparation for guiding the Dragon spacecraft as it approaches the International Space Station. In addition, the company hosted the first astronaut training day at the Hawthorne headquarters in preparation for flights to the Space Station.

Last year also saw the successful arc jet testing of PICA-X, SpaceX's high performance heat shield material developed in collaboration with NASA, which will be used to protect Dragon spacecraft on reentry. And the Merlin Vacuum engine demonstrated the highest efficiency ever for an American hydrocarbon rocket engine. SpaceX also signed deals with several key customers, including CONAE (Argentina's National Commission on Space Activity), Astrium and Orbcomm.