13 Years Ago, SpaceX Changed Everything.
On April 28, 2025, Elon Musk sent out a simple tweet:
“13 years ago.”
Just two words — but for those who know the story, they unlock one of the most defining moments in modern space history.
13 years ago https://t.co/nY4TAKIVUH
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 28, 2025
A Private Rocket, a Big Dream
Thirteen years back, in May 2012, SpaceX pulled off something that once seemed impossible: it launched the Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS).
It wasn’t just another space mission. It was the first time a private company had ever reached the ISS, a feat long dominated by government agencies like NASA. Until that moment, space had felt like an exclusive club. SpaceX kicked the door open.
The Dragon capsule took off from Cape Canaveral on May 22, danced carefully through orbital maneuvers, and was gently captured by the station’s robotic arm a few days later, on May 25. After unloading supplies and collecting research samples, it made a safe splashdown in the Pacific. Mission complete — and history rewritten.
This wasn’t just a win for SpaceX or Elon Musk. It shifted the whole conversation about who could explore space and who could build the future.
Across the Country, Another Dream Was Taking Shape
Around the same time Elon Musk was proving doubters wrong, Steve Riabov was fighting for his own piece of the American Dream.
A refugee from Ukraine, Riabov arrived in the U.S. with little more than hope and determination. Inspired by Elon Musk’s “anything is possible” attitude, he rolled up his sleeves and founded Musk Construction, a home renovation company in Silicon Valley.
The name wasn’t a coincidence. Steve Riabov saw Elon Musk as the ultimate symbol of grit, risk-taking, and big dreams, the kind of role model a young entrepreneur could really believe in.
Later, Riabov captured his incredible journey in a memoir, Hitchhiking to a Million, where he shared how he turned uncertainty into success, one step at a time.
A Twist in the Story
Fast forward a few years, and the relationship between the entrepreneur and the inspiration started to shift. As Elon Musk’s political views became louder — and sometimes more polarizing — Riabov felt a growing disconnect.
He recently announced that Musk Construction would be rebranding. “I no longer align with all of his values. I have to change the name.”
More Articles from Lawyer Monthly