Dragon's launch escape system

With Space X's historic mission to the International Space Station declared a success, the world is wondering, what's next from the company?

This mission, which was the first ever commercial flight to the ISS, might signal a new era in space exploration dependent not just on government for innovation, but on private enterprise.

This first flight was an unmanned cargo mission. But on future missions, which will carry astronauts, the Dragon spacecraft will be equipped with a launch escape system (seen here in an illustration from SpaceX) capable of quickly carrying the capsule to safety in case of a dangerous situation during the launch sequence. Safety innovation is just the beginning.

Click on for a look at some of SpaceX's big ideas for the future of flights to the final frontier.