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The SpaceX Crew Dragon team brought a surprise stowaway with them during Sunday’s launch.
A Baby Yoda doll was used as the mission’s “zero gravity indicator”, confirming that the ship is in orbit and in a microgravity environment.
When the crew dragon separated from his Falcon 9 rocket, “ the baby ” can be seen jumping around the cockpit while the four astronauts are safely tied up.
The launch was a complete success, with the team expected to arrive at the International Space Station late Monday evening.
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On Sunday night, astronauts aboard the historic Crew Dragon launch carried a stuffed Baby Yoda doll as a “ zero-gravity indicator, ” confirming the spaceship was in orbit and in a microgravity environment
This isn’t the first time a lovable creature has been used to establish zero gravity on a space mission.
For the May crew dragon test flight, a stuffed apatosaurus named Tremor was chosen by the sons of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.
When Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner performed an unmanned test flight last December, a Snoopy doll in astronaut outfit was on board.
And a plush Earth, nicknamed “ Terran ”, flew on Crew Dragon’s first unmanned flight in March 2019.
Plush dolls are often used in space flights to indicate that the ship has reached a zero gravity environment. When the crew dragon separated from his Falcon 9 rocket, ‘the baby’ can be seen floating around the cockpit while the four astronauts are safely tied.
For the crew’s dragon test flight in May, a stuffed apatosaurus named Tremor was chosen by the sons of astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley
However, not everyone will be happy with the latest mascot choice: some viewers of The Mandalorian have criticized Baby Yoda for committing genocide in the second season.
Baby Yoda, the emerging character in Disney +’s The Mandalorian is the latest adorable mascot to join a mission in space
In chapter 10, The Passenger, which premiered on November 6, Mando transports Frog Lady from Tatooine to Trask.
She is carrying a container of her unfertilized eggs, the last she will be able to produce, and she needs to reach her husband in time for him to fertilize them or their family line will die.
But, throughout the episode, a hungry Baby Yoda keeps trying to eat Frog Lady’s eggs.
When Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner made an unmanned test flight last December, this Snoopy doll was on board.
While many fans of the show found the antics “funny”, others were shocked by the character’s behavior.
Director Kevin Smith shared his distaste for Baby Yoda’s cooking habits
“I’m trying to explain to my son that Baby Yoda eating those eggs isn’t cute, it’s genocide,” director Kevin Smith tweeted, earning thousands of likes.
Some viewers of The Mandalorian were outraged when Baby Yoda ate another character’s unfertilized eggs
Lucasfilm creative art director Phil Szostak tweeted that the child’s actions had to be creepy and comical.
“For the record, #TheMandalorian chapter 10 makes it clear that Frog Lady eggs are not fertilized, like chicken eggs that many of us like,” he wrote.
“But of course, chickens are not sentient beings and the Child Eating Eggs is intentionally creepy, comic effect.”
Sunday’s mission was a success, with NASA’s Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi expected to arrive late Monday at the ISS, where they will remain for six months.
It marked NASA’s first operational flight with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
The space agency has begun allowing commercial rockets to ferry astronauts to the space station instead of just government-operated spacecraft.
Astronauts, from left, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard Resilience
This is also only the second time that Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has sent people into orbit in its dragon capsule via its Falcon rocket.
Musk revealed on Saturday that he “most likely” has the coronavirus and was forced to quarantine.
He was replaced in his official duties at Kennedy by SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell.
Vice President Mike Pence was also present.
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