A space-age cargo/shipping company might be emerging from America's own backyard and no one might be aware, but we know its name: it is called SpaceX.

SpaceX launched its company in 2002. Since then it has been working extensively and almost exclusively with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for a few years dealing with shipping and transportation of NASA's equipment and research, to and from the International Space Station (ISS). And at the beginning of this month, the company has been given permission to construct and operate its very own launch site for rockets and spacecraft.

SpaceX's website perhaps boasts that it "designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft." The company's aim is to transform how space technology is utilized, and by doing that they can successfully move on to their final goal, which is to have people living on other planets. SpaceX is perhaps half-way there.

The company measures its milestones based on firsts: in Decembet 2010, it became the first private company to ever return a spacecraft from Earth's lower orbit; and in May 2012, it was perhaps the first private cargo company to exchange cargo with the ISS. It did so using their Dragon spacecraft. This Dragon spacecraft of theirs has delivered cargo to and from the ISS multiple times, as well as assisting NASA with its cargo resupply missions. This is what the company claims.

The newest launch site that SpaceX has acquired would be for the company only, and the company could use it to meet its high demand in shipping to space, Fox News reported. On July 9, Dr. George C. Nield, head of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Commercial Space Transportation, gave the company permission to do so. What this means is that the SpaceX location is a legitimate private launch site. It also means that Nield's decision is also historic and a "record of a decision."  

The SpaceX Texas launch site will be located in Cameron County, Texas. As their website describes, as well as being reported in the news, SpaceX has a litany of flights on its schedule. For instance, it has plans to make up to a dozen of commercial launches every year, The Space Reporter noted. It will have its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, as well as sustainable vehicles created for suborbital flights. The company can now move forward more easily, effectively and even rapidly with its FAA approval; they can now gain launch licenses, and experiment permits.

Perhaps for the first few years of the launch site's operation, the FAA could grant SpaceX licenses for individual projects. But the company would have to wait at least five years to even have an operator's license, The Space Reporter confirmed. The company might not have to wait that long; on July 11 the U.S. Air Force certified that the Falcon 9 rocket completed three successful flights.

With the FAA approval, and now the U.S. Air Force's certification, SpaceX could compete for future Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program missions or EELV.

Not everyone is happy with SpaceX's almost rocket-like advancements and success. Back in April, SpaceX filed a lawsuit challenging the Air Force's awarding of an EELV block buy contract to the United Launch Alliance (ULA). This was on the grounds that it should have been more competitive. By early July, both the Air Force and ULA attempted to have the court dismiss the lawsuit on several grounds, including SpaceX not being certified to carry payloads to space, Forbes reported.  

Suffice it to say, SpaceX won and they are moving ahead with their outer-space shipments scheduled for this month and August. SpaceX has to deliver a satellite into orbit; and by next month the Falcon 9 rocket will be carrying an unmanned Dragon spacecraft loaded with supplies to the ISS as part of their contract with NASA, Forbes reported. SpaceX currently has a $1.5 billion contract with NASA.

SpaceX is perhaps growing as fast as a rocket with its launch services. The company boasts that they are at the moment very profitable, with nearly 50 launches on its manifest, and it has contracts worth $5 billion. Part of these contracts include delivering commercial satellite launches, as well as NASA missions.