Baby Yoda joins astronauts on historic SpaceX Crew-1 mission to ISS
Crew members from NASA and JAXA choose an adorable Star Wars toy as a zero-gravity indicator.
Baby Yoda is the chosen zero-gravity indicator for SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience.
Baby Yoda captured hearts as soon as he appeared in the Disney Plus series The Mandalorian. The breakout Star Wars star is now an honorary member of the Crew-1 mission thanks to astronauts who picked the character to be the "gravity indicator" on their historic SpaceX flight to the ISS.
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, along with Japanese Space Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, were en route Sunday night to the International Space Station. The Baby Yoda toy could be seen floating in the spacecraft during the NASA livestream.
Views inside the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft reveal a “Baby Yoda” toy joined the astronauts on the launch as their zero G indicator.https://t.co/baLJVLCH0T pic.twitter.com/wNBNcOCo1m
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) November 16, 2020
The astronaut crew -- as well as NASA and SpaceX -- kept Baby Yoda's presence a secret until they reached zero-gravity. "Baby Yoda says you guys can come back on board," astronaut Glover told SpaceX mission control, saying they could turn the cameras back on inside the spacecraft.
In June, SpaceX and NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley chose a sparkly dinosaur nicknamed Tremor as their zero-gravity indicator.
Of course, Baby Yoda floating in space got Star Wars fans excited.
Tweeted one: "Baby Yoda goes to space! Spoiler twist ending for The Mandalorian season 2?"
Tweeted another: "Why is it called the International Space Station? After Baby Yoda arrives it'll be interplanetary."
Baby Yoda Goes to Space! Spoiler twist ending for @themandalorian season 2? Thoughts @ginacarano @SpaceX @NASA pic.twitter.com/6nBhTOagvr
— Megan Neel (@mkpink20) November 16, 2020
Baby Yoda in space. $DIShttps://t.co/me4Bmivb7f pic.twitter.com/xL14WqKUH4
— Pixar Fan (@PixarFan2) November 16, 2020
Wow they really sent a baby Yoda doll into space and I still can’t even get a txt back
— Mick Dale (@mick__dale) November 16, 2020
The Child went into space y’all. The Child. Baby Yoda grew up to become Yoda. Who is dead. RIP Yoda.
— Gary Sykes (@GarySykes82) November 16, 2020
Also, astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi brought a companion on their flight to the International Space Station: #BabyYoda https://t.co/WdfZX4eeeb pic.twitter.com/XeygRagC6m
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) November 16, 2020
This is the way. I'm so happy to see this and my kids will love to hear about it. #BabyYoda #TheMandalorian #ThisIsTheWay #TheChild https://t.co/J5bqSLqThW
— Ryan L Kobrick, PhD (@RyInSpace) November 16, 2020
#asknasa @asknasa why is it called the international space station? After Baby Yoda arrives it'll be interplanetary. Will there be a naming ceremony? #justsayin
— Chase McAllister (@chazzymac808) November 16, 2020
Even Disney is getting in some product placement in space. Baby Yoda chills in zero G. $DIS pic via @EvaFoxU pic.twitter.com/CEghwWXwv9
— Green Ghost 🚀🌛 (@lingua_nut) November 16, 2020
