Someone has suggested that the SpaceX taking cargo to the Space Station (and also returning materials to Earth) was one of the top stories of 2012.
I agree that it's a big story. The Space Shuttle is no more, and the USA has no replacement yet. So it has all been down to the Russian Soyuz to transport the astronauts and most of the supplies.
In 2011, for the first time, the Japanese Kounotori 2 H-2 Transfer Vehicle took supplies to the ISS, another useful development. But SpaceX is obviously working towards being able to carry people as well as cargo.
I didn't include SpaceX in my list because I didn't see it as an astronomy story. (Maybe we need a Space editor?)
