On Tuesday morning students at the Dayton Regional STEM School spoke with a passenger on the SpaceX rocket that launched Friday.
Dayton businessman Larry Connor did floating somersaults for the auditorium of over 100 ninth graders. The mission is the first to the International Space Station where all of the passengers are private citizens.
Students at the STEM-focused school are currently studying the future of space exploration. Superintendent Robin Fisher said talking to a Dayton-native in space means a lot to the students.
“I think when you see someone who grew up in the same community that you did, you realize the potential that you have. And maybe they can reach for the stars later, too,” she said.
Connor told the high schoolers that they could one day experience space flight.
“Don't sit there and say, I can't do this. Yes, you can,” he said. “We’re hoping by this first mission, which is groundbreaking but also very very expensive, that for your generation we can make it far more accessible and affordable.”
The price for a seat on this rocket was $55 million.
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