Astronauts have not launched into space from United Staes soil since 2011, but on Saturday, May 30 SpaceX and NASA launched a manned aircraft at Kennedy Space Center. At 3:22 pm the Falcon 9 launched into the sky to mark the first time that a privately developed spacecraft launched into orbit. NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were aboard the Falcon 9 as it left the Earth and headed toward the International Space Station. The following day the crew docked with the international space station and the mission was deemed a success. SpaceX had been previously preparing for this mission by conducting the same plan, but without NASA astronauts on board.  The launch was originally scheduled for May 27 but was rescheduled due to bad weather. SpaceX claims to be returning space travel to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built. This mission has laid the groundwork for future missions to the Moon and possibly Mars.

You can visit the SpaceX website to watch the replay of the launch in case you missed it.