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Cal Poly students inspired by former Mustang launched into space Sunday

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Cal Poly graduate Victor Glover made history Sunday, launching into space as the pilot of the NASA Space X Crew 1 mission to the International Space Station.

Hours before the successful launch, current Mustangs shared what an inspiration Glover has served to them.

Glover's departure from Earth makes him the first Black Astronaut to fly for SpaceX. For president of Cal Poly's National Society of Black Engineers Amman Asfaw, he says he feels connected to Glover, who once held the same position.

“Wow, like somebody who was in the same position as me about 20 years ago is about to go into space," the Cal Poly graduate student said in a virtual event Saturday.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong attended the launch to show his support of the Mustang making history.

Students currently studying aerospace engineering say Glover's achievement has motivated them.

Cal Poly senior Brigette Peterson is getting to see her work in action. During an internship with SpaceX, she helped create ground support equipment for the Falcon 9 vehicle, used in Sunday's launch.

“It really means the world to me to see to something that I helped with and my teammates and friends helped with, launch something to the International Space Station," Peterson said.

Even students outside of the engineering field say they feel inspired by the milestone made by Glover.

Laura Maranta learned Glover welcomed new students to campus as a Cal Poly Ambassador, a position she also worked at Cal Poly.

“It’s fun to imagine that we were both walking around campus backwards and maybe telling some of the same stories and facts, and now he’s out in space," Maranta, a Cal Poly student said.

From the classroom to Crew 1, Glover leaves a legacy behind for many Mustangs, present and future.