Call it an improbable dream or otherwise, a private venture into space no longer remains inconceivable with the launch of the Dragon space capsule  from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

It was literally history in the making as the SpaceX spaceship took off at 8.44 am BST, leaving behind a world of possibilities to explore in days to come. It may not be too late when wealthy individuals would fancy a joyride into outer space, maybe a interplanetary vacation to cool their heels!

The project costs $100 billion (£63 billion) and involves six astronauts, sources say, adding that the passengers on-board will help the capsule dock with the International Space Station and unload supplies, before it heads back to earth with fresh stock of cargo.

One of the main purposes of the ambitious project, according to sources, is that the Californian company wants to show that voyages could still be made to the International Space Station despite NASA’s decision to ground all its space shuttles last year.

With America signing off from ISS missions, Russia remains to be the only country to send supplies to the research facility. Now with a private enterprise joining a state-sponsored initiative, a successful test flight of the Dragon capsule will surely prove there is no limit to human imagination and achievements.

Speaking on the SpaceX initiative, notable science correspondent of The Telegraph Tom Chivers said it could be the only way for humans to realise their unearthly ambitions, as most governments in the West want to blow their own trumpets when taking up such mammoth projects.