The SpaceX launch happened Saturday, and the astronauts arrived at the Space Station yesterday morning. It's the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since 2011, and the first time a private company has ever put people in orbit.
Here's a quick rundown in case you missed it . . .
It launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Saturday afternoon, two days after it got delayed by weather. President Trump was there for it, and everything as planned. (Here's the footage. NASA also posted a pretty cool recap video (see below).
It's the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since 2011. And it's the first time a private company has put someone into orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk called it the, quote, "first step on a journey toward a civilization on Mars."
Apparently even NASA agrees AC/DC's "Back in Black" is a good song to pump yourself up to. Before the launch, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley listened to it on their way to the rocket.
One of the coolest parts of the SpaceX rocket is that it's reusable. Less than ten minutes after liftoff, the rocket booster landed on a platform in the middle of the ocean. (see Tweet below).
Roughly five minutes after that, the astronauts hit orbit. It took another 19 hours to reach the Space Station. So they burned ten minutes livestreaming themselves showing off the inside of the capsule. (Here's video below.)
They docked with the Space Station yesterday morning and NASA posted footage of them entering through an airlock and hugging the other astronauts on board. They'll be there at least five weeks.