SpaceX launched four astronauts into space toward the International Space Station Sunday — but they weren’t alone. Baby Yoda went with them.
What’s going on?
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Commander Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker from NASA and Soichi Noguchi from Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency traveled to space on Sunday, according to USA Today.
- The astronauts brought Baby Yoda — a beloved character from “The Mandalorian”
— with them for the ride. - You can see a plush Baby Yoda tucked into the photo of the crew below.
Why did they bring Baby Yoda?
- TechCrunch reports the Baby Yoda doll is a “zero-gravity indicator,” which is often a small object that can float in the spacecraft. The astronauts use the device to make sure that they’ve reached space since gravity goes away.
- The entire journey is expected to take 27.5 hours, so they’ll likely reach the station sometime Monday, according to Mashable. The crew will be there for six months.
- “It’s unknown whether Baby Yoda will have a vital job once the crew reaches the ISS. At the very least he’ll help keep morale up,” according to Mashable.