A Falcon 9 rocket carrying four astronauts successfully launched into the night sky on Sunday evening from Cape Canaveral, as thousands of onlookers to the space coast saw the rocket blow through the atmosphere en route to the International Space Station.
This is the second manned launch on the space coast after a nine-year gap for manned space exploration from Florida.
The space coast has been revitalized since June when NASA and SpaceX brought manned space travel from American soil back. Prior to June, the U.S. hadn’t launched a manned flight since the old shuttle in 2011.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen were on hand to watch history unfold, along with tourists from all over who have flooded the area, including a man all the way from Oregon.
“It’s historic,” said Craig Gleason, an Oregon resident. “It’s great to be back launching here.”
The crew will spend about 24 more hours maneuvering to dock at the International Space Station. Docking is slated for around 11 p.m. Monday night.