In a report estimating the hypothetical cost of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle for a government agency, NASA looked at it from two angles: the agency's traditional approach, and a "more commercial" one. Guess what won?

For the first time, a private, commercial spacecraft will launch into Earth orbit and autonomously dock with the International Space Station. Lumbering governments beware: private industry is taking over your space turf.

Private rocket company SpaceX is about to attempt a launch of its next spacecraft, the new Falcon 9. One of the private rocketeers that might soon supplant or even replace the U.S. manned space program, SpaceX wants to use the Falcon 9 to eventually launch humans into space. For now, weather permitting, the company needs to get Falcon 9 through its first unmanned test flight.