SpaceX’s recent private space launch is a moment to be celebrated. I’m not sure that it’s quite up there with Neil Armstrong’s Small Step or Star Trek: First Contact, which hails the invention of Warp Speed and subsequent meeting of “aliens” (i.e. Spock’s Vulcan ancestors who were cruising around the solar system looking for signs of intelligent life), but it is a singular achievement.

The successful launch is the first to be completed by a private company (not governments) and signals the next phase of space exploration and innovation. Initially delayed by inclement weather, the starship Dragon Demo-2 blasted off from Florida on Saturday at 3:22 pm to the cheer of millions and completed its 19 hour journey to the International Space Station. In the midst of a global pandemic where self isolation, uncertainty and frustration are the themes of the day, this historic breakout is more meaningful than ever to a world hungry for inspiration and unambiguous good news.