A 2011 Purdue graduate was on board for the world's first "space tourism" flight over the weekend.
The world's first "space tourism" flight over the weekend included a couple of local connections: Purdue alumni onboard, ushering in a new era of the university's "cradle of astronauts".
The Virgin Galactic launch Sunday morning, most famous for Sir Richard Branson, the civilian billionaire blasting off into space, carried history with its crew, too.
Two commercial astronauts floating in the Unity 22 spacecraft were Purdue graduates, solidifying their spot in the university's "cradle of astronauts."
Beth Moses became member number 25 on the last Virgin Galactic flight.
Sirisha Bandla is now member number 26, with her inaugural trip into space.
They are part of an elite group of Purdue alumni that includes Gus Grissom and Neil Armstrong.
Sirisha graduated from Purdue in 2011.
She described the views of Earth from the edge of space, a few hours after landing.
"There's nothing else around it and it's just, you're like, 'that is what's keeping us alive' and it's so beautiful," she said. "Everything from the blackness to the contrast with the Earth is just deafening. It's incredible."
Steven Collicott was one of Sirisha's professor at Purdue in the school of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
He watched the launch Sunday with pride.
"I was really happy to watch the flight," he said. "I mean, that was awesome."
As a senior, Sirisha was team leader for him on a zero-gravity flight experiment on parabolic aircraft flights.
"High energy," he said of his former student. "A combination of high energy and strong focus, that's how I would describe Sirisha. And as for students who've gone to space, students from my zero-gravity class? Sirisha's the first. To watch it live knowing that two of our alums are in the vehicle working away in micro-gravity, not being tourists but working, doing research, was just phenomenal to watch and I was very excited."
Sirisha conducted biological research onboard that hour-long flight Sunday, to improve human health, testing a new device to freeze the biological process at a certain point in time, in weightlessness.
She told reporters training was key for the trip, especially from her fellow Purdue grad, Beth Moses.
"The team and Beth Moses, our chief astronaut instructor, has prepared us so well and it's not just our training and operations and emergency procedures, it's preparing for the experience," she said. "So, when I was sitting in the spaceship, I knew it was real. I knew exactly what to expect and I could focus on the views and the experience and it was just incredible."
What a way to Boiler up -- two commercial astronauts continuing a long line of leaders in space exploration, coming from Purdue.
"We hope to see more, many many more, especially if they take the old professor with them," Collicott said, with a laugh.
Sirisha Bandla honored her alma mater in space with something tucked into the pocket of her spacesuit.
She brought along a Purdue pennant and when asked about it in the news conference after the flight -- she simply said "Boiler Up."
