SpaceX made history yesterday, when it became the first private company to successfully launch humans into orbit.
On Saturday, May 30, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were launched into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft using a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch, titled “Demo-2,” marks the first time in almost a decade that American astronauts have traveled to space and, most notably, it’s the first time a privately-owned company has taken humans to the International Space Station.
This launch, which was live-streamed, also gave space enthusiasts an unprecedented look into what transpires during space travel. In one especially adorable moment, the two pilots revealed that a plush toy dinosaur was accompanying them as a reminder of their families.
Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley also used the historic moment to reveal that their space capsule would be renamed to the “Endeavour” capsule. This not only commemorated NASA’s original Space Shuttle Endeavour, but it’s especially poignant given that this is the maiden voyage for commercial space travel.
You can watch a recap of the full launch below.
