NASA funded SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft development under a Commercial Crew Program contract to end dependency on buying seats aboard Russian spacecraft, and launch astronauts from American soil once again. The agency has not launched astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) ever since the Space Shuttle was grounded in 2011. SpaceX made history when it launched NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the space station on Saturday, May 30. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A, propelling Dragon to orbit.

🚀👨🏼‍🚀 For the first time in history, @NASA_Astronauts launched to the @Space_Station from American soil in a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft.

Relive our #LaunchAmerica mission with @AstroBehnken & @Astro_Doug: https://t.co/20CMS9UshG pic.twitter.com/B9Vf18f9yv

— NASA (@NASA) June 1, 2020

About nine years ago, Astronaut Hurley performed the last Space Shuttle mission launched from American soil, he left a United States flag at the space station. The flag flew on the first space shuttle flight in 1981 and the final one in 2011. The agency used the flag as an incentive to start a new space race and motivate aerospace companies to develop technology to conduct human missions launched from American soil. Whoever launched astronauts first, would win the flag. The agency detailed the purpose of the flag in 2011:

“The flag will remain displayed onboard the station until the next crew launched from the US retrieves it for return to Earth so that it can be carried by the first crew launched from the US on a journey of exploration beyond Earth orbit.”

So, this flag will be a treasure that could one day travel on future missions to the moon and Mars.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk, tweeted in 2011 after the final Space Shuttle retired – “SpaceX commencing flag capturing sequence...” Yesterday, as the astronauts arrived at ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Musk shared the post, captioned: “Nine years later”

Nine years later https://t.co/CS1LbPLN2N

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2020

The flag is very special to Hurley because he was who left it there almost a decade ago. "Brought home by same person who placed it there almost a decade ago," Musk noted via Twitter.

Brought home by same person who placed it there almost a decade ago

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2020

In a press conference from space early today, June 1, Hurley said the flag represents the hard work of thousands of NASA and SpaceX teams who helped reignite the new era of human spaceflight in the United States. Hurley showed off the flag to the audience via NASA TV, which now features a note from NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy, who was already working at the station, the note reads: "Do not forget to take with Crew Dragon." (video below)

"It's for the thousands of people who made it possible, from the folks at @SpaceX, to the folks at NASA, to the folks within the @Commercial_Crew program." @Astro_Doug comments on retrieving the American flag left on the @Space_Station during the last space shuttle mission: pic.twitter.com/SY41S11RrD

— NASA (@NASA) June 1, 2020

"You can bet we will take it with us when we depart back to Earth," said Hurley, floating in zero gravity alongside Dragon crewmate Behnken. "We are lucky enough to be able to take it home with us," he added. Astronaut Hurley will bring the flag to Earth aboard Dragon upon mission completion -

"Congratulations, SpaceX, you got the flag!"

"It's awe-inspiring for all of us," SpaceX manager Benji Reed told the astronauts via video call from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Reed asked the astronauts how their ride during liftoff went. Hurley shared he could feel when the rocket broke the sound barrier and felt like “driving fast, very fast on a gravel road.”

LIVE from space: @AstroBehnken & @Astro_Doug speak with @SpaceX officials and employees, and present the Class of 2020 mosaic image that flew with them aboard Dragon Endeavour to the @Space_Station. Watch: https://t.co/mxlaPIRAzV https://t.co/mxlaPIRAzV

— NASA (@NASA) June 1, 2020

To celebrate the Class of 2020, SpaceX and NASA invited students from around the world to submit their photo to fly alongside astronauts aboard Dragon. All photos are printed in a mosaic of Earth. During today’s NASA TV live broadcast from the space station, the astronauts congratulated the Class of 2020 students by presenting the poster that is now at the orbiting laboratory (video above). "When Behnken & Hurley launched to the Space Station on the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour, they brought a mosaic of Earth with 90,000 pictures of recent graduates," NASA announced.