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NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley recently returned to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon Capsule and took a bunch of questions from reporters curious to know what riding in the new commercial space vehicle was like. The trip up to the International Space Station (ISS) and back is especially significant because it marks the first time a commercially made spaceship made the trip with humans aboard. The Dragon Capsule has been taking cargo to the station for some time now. Now that SpaceX showed they can get NASA Astronauts into space and back, they can pick up with a busy launch schedule over the next six months where they plan on sending more astronauts up to the ISS.
Bob and Doug's Q&A session was wonderful to watch because of how genuine, humble, and candid both astronauts are. They come off as incredibly selfless, likeable people who enjoy shedding light on the scientific and technical side of space travel as well as the emotional impact of looking back down on Earth from so far up. My favorite question, however, was a followup question based on a promise Bob Behnken made to his son. Behnken, who promised his son a puppy when he got back, was asked when the new pup was arriving and he said withing the next few weeks. In an adorable twist on the standard space-to-ground calls astronauts make with their families, Bob Behnken was preparing his son for getting a dog all while floating around the International Space Station.
Check out the astronaut Q&A above including their thoughts on being surrounded by a bunch of civilian board upon splashdown, slowing down recovery efforts.