BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX successfully launched its historic Polaris Dawn mission Tuesday morning from Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with a Dragon capsule on top took off at 5:23 a.m. after weather concerns pushed the launch.
News 6′s Ezzy Castro spoke to some people who showed up to Veterans Memorial Park in Titusville to watch the launch.
“It never gets old, I get goosebumps every time I see a rocket launch,” said David Bushell, who was visiting from the U.K. “... I’ve tried to explain this to my colleagues at work, but it just doesn’t get old, the whole experience. The atmosphere, the tension, and finally seeing the launch.”
[SHARE YOUR PHOTOS: SpaceX’s historic Polaris Dawn mission lifts off from Florida’s Space Coast]
David Hernly, who is from Merritt Island, was one of the first people awaiting the launch and arrived at 1 a.m.
“Usually the early bird gets the worm, or the best shot,” he laughed.
When asked what he loves so much about the launch, he said, “It’s the first commercial walk into space and all the medical research they’re doing on this launch. It’s just another historical moment. I’ve always been thrilled about the space program and get to see new adventures all the time.”
The launch has been pushed back multiple times due to weather concerns and a helium leak.
The mission is expected to set several milestones over the course of five days, including the first commercial spacewalk, testing in-space communications, reaching a higher altitude than even the International Space Station, and conducting critical research about the impact of long-term space flights on human health.
The crew includes Mission Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon.
The crew will go further away from Earth than any astronauts since the final Apollo mission, but soaring three-and-a-half times higher than the International Space Station will come with additional risks.
The Polaris Dawn mission and its series of future missions are named after the North Star.
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