Which country launched Elon Musk’s first SpaceX rocket, Falcon 1, from Omelek Island?

Elon Musk’s first SpaceX rocket, Falcon 1, was launched from Omelek Island in the Marshall Islands. Omelek is part of Kwajalein Atoll, where the United States operates the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site.

SpaceX used the remote Pacific location for Falcon 1 launches because the site provided access to open ocean and a suitable range for orbital-flight testing. Falcon 1 was a two-stage rocket powered by liquid-propellant engines, and it was designed to place small payloads into orbit.

The first three Falcon 1 launches failed between 2006 and 2008. The fourth launch, on September 28, 2008, successfully reached orbit, making Falcon 1 the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to do so.

The launch site is sometimes mistaken for Cape Canaveral because later SpaceX missions frequently launched from Florida. Falcon 1’s early flights, however, began from Omelek in the Marshall Islands.