Along with many others, I have watched SpaceX grow up as a company. Launching rockets into the sky, delivering cargo to the International Space Station, landing modules back on earth - sometimes on floating platforms in the middle of the ocean.

I was in awe when I watched the Falcon Heavy Side Boosters Land Simultaneously at Kennedy Space Center. This is one of those moments where you are struck by the advancement in technology and precision of the science and math needed to achieve such a thing.

On May 30th SpaceX who have partnered with NASA has launched DEMO-2, sending to space the first astronauts from US soil since 2011. The NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and arrived at the ISS as part of this new venture for NASA and SpaceX to allow the private sector to launch humans to space.

It was a success.

The accomplishment is a result of many people’s time and effort. The rocket engineers, the software developers, project managers, the people who made the uniforms, the people who monitor heath and train the astronauts. The math, science and technology that was used to achieve liftoff and orbit. Congrats to those folks who are all behind the scenes.

I remember back in grade school, when a local of my town became an astronaut and launched into space on the Columbia Space Shuttle for STS-90. The school wheeled the AV cart out with a massive 20ish inch CRT TV on top. We watched live as the shuttle counted down and reached space. I remember being assembled in the cafeteria/rec room watching this, not knowing how much I would think about it as an adult.

Space has always piqued my interest. I hope there were kids at home watching this new endeavor and sparking interest in STEM, like it did me.