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NASA SpaceX crew takes Baby Yoda back to space

Washington Examiner 11/17/2020 Haley Victory Smith

Baby Yoda has taken another journey through space, but this time, it was with NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 team.

Prior to launching on Sunday, the crew decided to take a plush Baby Yoda with them on their journey to the International Space Station, where they arrived late Monday night.

Baby Yoda, otherwise known as "the child," is a beloved character in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. The extra astronaut was on board the flight as the "zero gravity indicator." When the flight separated from its Falcon 9 rocket, the plush doll took flight.

Sunday's launch sent three NASA astronauts and one Japanese astronaut to the ISS. The flight was commanded by Air Force Col. Mike Hopkins and piloted by former Navy test pilot Victor Glover. The crew was rounded out by Johnson Space Center veteran Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi from the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Other SpaceX indicators have included a plush globe nicknamed "Earthy" and a stuffed dinosaur picked out by the sons of the astronauts on the mission. During an unmanned Boeing test flight in 2019, astronaut Snoopy was used as the indicator.

In response to the announcement of Snoopy's trip, Loren Grush, a senior science reporter at the Verge, tweeted, "Put baby yoda in space, you cowards."

SpaceX and Disney did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.

Put baby yoda in space, you cowards
— Loren Grush (@lorengrush) December 20, 2019

Baby Yoda is heading to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon. pic.twitter.com/6MFG1G0YT6
— Hanneke Weitering (@HannekeScience) November 16, 2020