It's an entirely new concept. Not the rocket its self, that works like most rockets do. But in the case of the Falcon 9, a rocket designed and financed by a private company rather than the government could become the nation's primary delivery vehicle for cargo, and eventually crew, to the International Space Station.

That's what's riding on the looming first launch of the Falcon 9, designed by Space-X. And founder Elon Musk says the pressure to perform is enormous.

If the Falcon 9 launch is successful, NASA, Congress, and the White House will be much more comfortable proceeding with commercial space ventures, which are a big part of President Obama's stated long-term goals for space exploration. If Falcon 9 suffers a significant launch failure, then it will strengthen the hand of some in Congress who want to see a continuation of the Ares 1 program, currently scheduled for cancellation along with the entire Constellation program which former President George W. Bush envisioned for retuning men to the moon.