The private company Space-X will launch their first "real" satellite this week. It is an unmanned test of the pressurized module in a low near-orbit

Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft being developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Initiated internally by SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized trunk used for Earth to LEO transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or crew members.

The Dragon spacecraft is comprised of 3 main elements: the Nosecone, which protects the vessel and the docking adaptor during ascent; the Spacecraft, which houses the crew and/or pressurized cargo as well as the service section containing avionics, the RCS system, parachutes, and other support infrastructure; and the Trunk, which provides for the stowage of unpressurized cargo and will support Dragon’s solar arrays and thermal radiators.

The bullet-shaped space capsule, which could one day tote supplies to the International Space Station, is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The launch was postponed Monday after engineers found a 8cm crack in the engine nozzle of the Falcon 9 rocket that was to carry the Dragon space capsule. "SpaceX is considering several options, including repairing the crack or shipping a replacement part from California. More information on the launch schedule will be announced when available," NASA said.

Never before has a non-government owned spacecraft successfully pulled off such a feat, and the operation carries significant risks; The craft must namely maneuver in orbit at speeds of more than 27.360km/hour, survive a fiery re-entry into orbit and manage a safe parachute landing into the ocean.

SEE more at  Space-X