Alan Lindenmoyer congratulates Gwynne Shotwell on a job well done during a post-launch news conference in the Press Site auditorium.

Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Program, congratulates Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, on a job well done during a post-launch news conference in the Press Site auditorium at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched into space at 3:44 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch is the company's second demonstration test flight for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program, or COTS. During the flight, the capsule will conduct a series of check-out procedures to test and prove its systems, including rendezvous and berthing with the International Space Station. If the capsule performs as planned, the cargo and experiments it is carrying will be transferred to the station. The cargo includes food, water and provisions for the station’s Expedition crews, such as clothing, batteries and computer equipment. Under COTS, NASA has partnered with two aerospace companies to deliver cargo to the station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spacex. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett