
A tradition borrowed from the Russian space program has now physically crossed over to an American spacecraft for the first time.
The "zero-g [gravity] indicator" that launched aboard SpaceX's Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station on Saturday (Sept. 28), previously flew on two Russian Soyuz capsules, including one that survived an emergency in-flight abort.
"I've got a little Falcon here," said NASA astronaut and Crew-9 commander Nick Hague, as he revealed the small plush baby falcon in the crew cabin of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Freedom."