Here's what you need to know... SpaceX was founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk who still has part ownership of the company with 54 per cent equity and 78 per cent voting control. SpaceX is a private American aerospace manufacturer that is based in California. It was founded in 2002 with the goal to build affordable rockets and enable the colonisation of Mars. The manufacturer also aimed to reduce space transportation costs. Since its creation, the firm has gained fame primarily as a pioneering rocket firm. In 2008 it launched the first privately-funded liquid-propellant rocket to reach orbit and later became the first private company to launch an object into orbit around the sun. The company has grown dramatically over its lifespan, from 160 employees in November 2005 to around 7,000 as of November 2019. As of March 2018, SpaceX had over 100 launches on its manifest representing about $12billion (£9.24billion) in contract revenue. Most read in Science