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Incredible discovery shows 110M-year-old dinosaur’s last meal preserved

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Talk about a meal lasting a long time.

Researchers have discovered fossilized evidence of a dinosaur’s last meal from 110 million years ago.

The armored dinosaur, known as Borealopelta markmitchell, had fossilized fern leaves in its stomach, as well as twigs and stems. Bits of charcoal on some of the fragments were also discovered, which showed the massive dinosaur ate in an area that may have been devastated by fires.

The last supper of an armored dinosaur that died 110 million years ago has been discovered. (Credit: Julius Csotonyi, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology)

DINOSAURS MAY HAVE TURNED TO CANNIBALISM IN HARD TIMES, STUDY SHOWS

“The finding of the actual preserved stomach contents from a dinosaur is extraordinarily rare, and this stomach recovered from the mummified nodosaur by the museum team is by far the best-preserved dinosaur stomach ever found to date,” said University of Saskatchewan geologist Jim Basinger in a statement.

The researchers broke down the meal, noting it was comprised of “88 percent chewed leaf material and seven percent stems and twigs,” said Brandon University biologist and study co-author David Greenwood.

The mass of ferns was the size of a football and will shed new light on how the public views the ancient creatures’ eating habits.

“When people see this stunning fossil and are told that we know what its last meal was because its stomach was so well preserved inside the skeleton, it will almost bring the beast back to life for them, providing a glimpse of how the animal actually carried out its daily activities, where it lived, and what its preferred food was,” Basinger added.

FOSSIL OF TERRIFYING MEGARAPTOR, WITH 14-INCH CLAWS, DISCOVERED IN ARGENTINA

The study’s lead author, Caleb Brown, also noted that the meal, death and burial of the dinosaur occurred in the “late spring to mid-summer” time frame, based on analysis of the stems and the ferns’ spore-producing sporangia.

“This new study changes what we know about the diet of large herbivorous dinosaurs,” Brown added. “Our findings are also remarkable for what they can tell us about the animal’s interaction with its environment, details we don’t usually get just from the dinosaur skeleton.”

Borealopelta markmitchell’s fossils were discovered in 2011 in a mine near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. The dinosaur weighed 2,866 pounds (1,300 kilograms) and measured approximately 18 feet long, making it one of the larger armored herbivores of its time.

TERRIFYING SPINOSAURUS HAD POWERFUL TAIL, BECOMING FIRST KNOWN AQUATIC DINOSAUR

In addition to its large size, Borealopelta’s back had thorny spikes and had two horns on its shoulders, which are believed to not only help protect it against predators, but attract mates as well, experts note.

The research has been published in the Royal Society of Open Science.

Researchers have been learning more about dinosaurs’ diets in recent months. A separate study found that some dinosaurs who faced scarce resources resorted to scavenging and possibly cannibalism.

A study published in March suggested dinosaurs traveled significantly shorter distances and had drastically different migration behavior than initially believed.

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Mars may have been a ringed planet in its ancient past, study suggests

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There are four planets in the Solar System that have rings — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. A new study, however, suggests that Mars may have also once been a ringed planet.

The research highlights that one of Mars’ moons, Deimos, has a slightly altered orbit that suggests there was something responsible for its slight tilt.

“The fact that Deimos’s orbit is not exactly in plane with Mars’s equator was considered unimportant, and nobody cared to try to explain it,” said the study’s lead author Matija Ćuk, a research scientist at the SETI Institute, in a statement. “But once we had a big new idea and we looked at it with new eyes, Deimos’s orbital tilt revealed its big secret.”

(Credit: NASA)

MARTIAN ROCK SAMPLES COULD BRING EXTRATERRESTRIAL VIRUSES TO EARTH, EXPERT WARNS

Deimos is slightly tilted by two degrees to the Martian equator.

The researchers noted that the findings came after looking at Mars’ other moon, Phobos, which they note will eventually orbit too low to the planet (in an astronomical time frame) and the Red Planet’s gravity will tear it apart and form a ring around Mars.

The theory that Mars’ moons break up and form rings has another element to it, the researchers noted. “[A] newborn moon would move away from the ring and Mars,” the statement reads. “Which is in the opposite direction from the inward spiral Phobos is experiencing due to gravitational interactions with Mars. An outward-migrating moon just outside the rings can encounter a so-called orbital resonance, in which Deimos’s orbital period is three times that of the other moon.”

ANCIENT MARS HAD 2 RESERVOIRS OF WATER DEEP UNDERGROUND, STUDY CLAIMS

The study has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Researchers are learning more about Mars’ ancient past. A study published in March suggested the Red Planet had two unique reservoirs of ancient water that once flowed deep beneath the planet’s surface.

NASA is slated to launch the recently renamed Perseverance rover on July 17, 2020. In March, Fox News reported the pandemic had not yet impacted launch preps for the unmanned rover, with work “continuing on schedule.”

The Perseverance rover will attempt to detect if there is any fossilized evidence of extraterrestrial beings, in addition to other tasks.

NASA’s long-term goal is to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s.

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Following historic NASA SpaceX mission, amazing picture shows International Space Station cruising past moon

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Following the historic events of the combined NASA/SpaceX launch over the weekend, a photographer has captured a remarkable image of the International Space Station carrying astronauts Bob Behnken and Douglas Hurley whizzing past the moon.

The composite image, taken by Italian photographer Alberto Ghizzi Panizza, came from a video he also took that shows the ISS at 17 different points as it sails across the moon, British news agency SWNS reports.

Panizza, 45, said he took the picture at 10:28 Italian time Sunday night, just a few hours after Behnken and Hurley docked with the ISS.

This amazing photo shows the sequence of the International Space Station gliding past the moon – carrying two NASA astronauts after they made a historic journey. (Credit: SWNS)

SPACEX MAKES HISTORY, LAUNCHES NASA ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE FROM US SOIL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011

“It was a very emotional moment not only for me, but for all mankind,” Panizza, who is from from Parma, said.

The Endeavour capsule, which was previously known as capsule 206, made its “soft capture” docking with the ISS at 10:16 am EDT after an almost 19-hour journey to the orbiting space lab. The space station was 262 statute miles above the border of northern China and Mongolia when the docking occurred.

“Hard capture” docking was complete at 10:28 am EDT with the full docking sequence complete about two minutes later.

Hurley and Behnken boarded the ISS on Sunday in the historic Demo-2 mission with SpaceX after the hatch of was opened at 1:02 p.m. EDT.

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (right) and Bob Behnken (second right) after boarding the International Space Station, where they were welcomed by fellow astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy (center) and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin (left) and Ivan Vagner (second left).
(NASA TV)

Behnken, who was the first to enter the space station, along with Hurley, were greeted by fellow NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, commander of the Space Station’s Expedition 63, and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.

NASA ASTRONAUTS DESCRIBE THEIR HISTORIC SPACEX RIDE TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The Crew Dragon spacecraft, which launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, is the first time that astronauts have launched from American soil since the final space shuttle flight in 2011.

The historic mission also marked the first time a private company, rather than a national government, has sent astronauts into orbit.

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Fox News’ James Rogers contributed to this story.

Get set for strawberry moon: NASA’s top tips for June skywatchers

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The next full moon, known as the strawberry moon, will light up the sky this week. Here are NASA’s top tips for June skywatchers.

The moon will be full on Friday, June 5, at 3:12 p.m. EDT. “The Moon will appear full for about 3 days around this time, from early Thursday morning into early Sunday morning,” NASA explains on its website.

Citing the Maine Farmer’s Almanac, NASA notes that the June full moon was dubbed the strawberry moon by Algonquin tribes. “The name comes from the relatively short season for harvesting strawberries in the north-eastern United States,” the space agency explains. “An old European name for this full Moon is the Mead Moon or the Honey Moon.”

SUPER PINK MOON THRILLS SKYWATCHERS

Mead is an alcoholic drink made from a fermented mixture of honey and water. “Some writings suggest that the time around the end of June was when honey was ripe and ready to be harvested from hives or from the wild, which made this the ‘sweetest’ Moon,” explains NASA.

The Strawberry Moon rises over lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center on June 06, 2017, in Montclair, New Jersey – file photo.
(Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that the name strawberry moon was used by every Algonquin tribe. The celestial event was also known as the rose moon in Europe, it adds.

The June full moon may also be linked to the phrase “honeymoon,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. “In the past, June has been the most popular month for weddings, leading some to suggest that the Moon’s honey-colored appearance in June was the origin of the ‘honeymoon’ phrase,” it explains on its website. “Nowadays, however, the most popular wedding months are August, September, and October, plus a little research shows that the Moon’s color never did have anything to do with that expression.”

The strawberry moon, however, will not be a supermoon. The May full moon, known as the flower moon, was the last supermoon of 2020.

SNOW MOON STUNS AS ONE OF THE LARGEST FULL MOONS OF 2020 LIGHTS UP THE SKY

In April, skywatchers enjoyed the super pink moon, which was the largest supermoon of the year.

NASA notes that a partial eclipse is also on deck for June 5, although this will not be visible for most people in the Americas. “The Moon will be close enough to opposite the Sun that it will pass through part of the partial shadow of the Earth, called a partial penumbral eclipse of the Moon,” it explains on its website. “During this eclipse the Moon will not be in the sky for most of the Americas. If we could see the Moon, the slight dimming during this eclipse will not be noticeable without instrumentation.”

“It’s the most subtle kind of lunar eclipse, one that most people won’t even notice,” adds the EarthSky website.

FULL WORM SUPERMOON THRILLS SKYWATCHERS

The summer solstice will occur later this month, on June 20. “As spring ends and summer begins, the daily periods of sunlight reach their longest on the solstice, then begin to shorten again,” explains NASA on its website. “Summer Solstice will be on Saturday, June 20, at 5:43 PM. This will be the day with the longest period of sunlight, 14 hours, 53 minutes, and 41.5 seconds,” it adds.

The ancient site of Stonehenge in Southern England has become synonymous with solstices. Some scientists believe that Stonehenge was built to mark the summer and winter solstices.

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NASA also offers other skywatching tips for this month. “As twilight ends on the evening of the full Moon on Friday, June 5, (at 9:42 PM EDT for the Washington, DC area), the planet Mercury will appear about 6 degrees above the horizon in the west-northwest,” it explains, on its website. “The bright star appearing nearest to directly overhead will be Arcturus, appearing (for Washington, DC and similar latitudes) 68 degrees above the horizon in the south-southeast. Also near to directly overhead will be the constellation Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear or the Big Dipper.”

Fox News’ Madeline Farber contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

Animals and plants are going extinct at an ‘unprecedented rate,’ shocking study says

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A new study notes that animals and plants are dying at the fastest rate since the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, with more than 500 species expected to be extinct in the next 20 years.

The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, notes that the accelerated decline is largely due to human activities, such as deforestation, overhunting and other human-linked activities. Almost 2 percent of all species the researchers analyzed, 515 in total, “are on the brink of extinction,” the researchers noted.

“When humanity exterminates populations and species of other creatures, it is sawing off the limb on which it is sitting, destroying working parts of our own life-support system,” said the study’s co-author, Stanford University professor Paul Ehrlich, in a statement. “The conservation of endangered species should be elevated to a national and global emergency for governments and institutions, equal to climate disruption to which it is linked.”

The Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth. Approximately 80 individuals remain in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, but poaching for their tusks and habitat loss threaten them with extinction. (Credit: Rhett Buttler/Mongabay)

DOOMSDAY CLOCK MOVES TO 100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT — CLOSEST POINT TO NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION SINCE COLD WAR

For comparison purposes, it’s estimated that 543 species of land vertebrates went extinct in the entire 20th century.

In 2015, Ehrlich declared the sixth mass extinction event on the planet was already underway. In September 2019, a study revealed that a mass extinction event that took place 2 billion years ago killed 99 percent of all species on the planet.

The researchers specifically cited species such as the Sumatran rhino, the Clarion island wren, the Espanola Giant Tortoise and the Harlequin frog as examples that are particularly vulnerable to going extinct.

It is believed 80 Sumatran rhinos are left on Earth, living in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, according to World Wildlife Fund.

There are between 100 and 200 Espanola Giant Tortoises left on Earth. The species is considered “critically endangered” and is on IUCN’s Red List.

EARTH’S OCEANS HAVE WARMED BY RATE OF MORE THAN 3B ATOMIC BOMBS OVER PAST 70 YEARS, SHOCKING STUDY SAYS

The researchers also note that 84 percent of species with relatively small populations (under 5,000) live near species that have exceptionally small populations (under 1,000), putting constraints on the ecosystem that can cause a chain reaction. “Extinction breeds extinction,” the study authors write.

“What we do to deal with the current extinction crisis in the next two decades will define the fate of millions of species,” Gerardo Ceballos, the study’s lead author, added. “We are facing our final opportunity to ensure that the many services nature provides us do not get irretrievably sabotaged.”

A separate study published in February suggested that climate change could wipe out half of the planet’s animal and plant species by 2070.

The research noted that if temperatures rise 0.5 degrees Celsius around the globe, approximately half of the world’s species would become locally extinct. If temperatures were to rise 2.9 degrees Celsius, 95 percent of the species would become locally extinct.

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Nazi diary reveals secret location of WWII treasure worth billions, report says

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A diary from World War II that may contain the location of a treasure worth billions of dollars and hidden by the Nazis has come into the spotlight for a map it may contain, according to media reports.

The diary was written by a S.S. officer under the pseudonym “Michaelis,” Polish news site The First News (TFN) reported. It contained the plans of Heinrich Himmler, who wanted to hide the priceless works of art, artifacts and other riches the Nazis stole during the war. The diary is said to contain a map that shows 11 sites where the Nazis hid the riches, including a 16th-century castle near Roztoka, Poland.

In total, there are believed to be 11 sites in the diary where the treasure is located and may total more than 30 tons of gold.

NAZI BLITZ SECRETS REVEALED IN NOVEL LIVERPOOL EXCAVATION PROJECT

The gold is believed to be at the bottom of a well, nearly 200 feet under the castle, known as Hochberg Palace. TFN reported the gold is worth billions of euros.

The diary was held for years by a Masonic lodge in Quedlinburg, Germany that counted Nazi officers among its members, including “Michaelis,” the author of the diary. In 2019, the lodge gave the diary to the Silesian Bridge Foundation “as an apology for World War II,” TFN reported.

Roman Furmaniak, who leads the Silesian Bridge Foundation, told TFN he believes the location in Roztoka is the first of the 11 hiding places mentioned in the diary.

“Based on instructions I received from the Quedlinburgers, I believe I have located the well in the grounds of the palace,” Furmaniak told the news outlet.

12,000 NAZIS LIVED IN ARGENTINA IN 1930S WITH SWISS BANK ACCOUNTS, NEWLY DISCOVERED DOCUMENTS SHOW

Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, ministry representative Magdalena Tomaszewska said the diary’s authenticity has not yet been confirmed.

In addition to the map, Furmaniak said there were additional documents in the diary, including ones that suggest after the Nazis illegally took the artifacts, witnesses were killed and their bodies were dumped in the well, with explosives used to seal the entrance.

The owners of Hochberg Palace are going to restore the building, which has been neglected for years. As the restoration work continues, there will also be a search for the buried well, TFN noted.

Long-lost Nazi artifacts have been found in some unusual places in recent years.

A bust of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, along with a Nazi flag and several other documents and items from World War II, were found in the basement of the French Senate in September 2019.

Nazi bunkers that were used against U.S. forces at the D-Day landings during World War II in Normandy were discovered in February.

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Some scientists fear ‘superspreaders’ may prompt new COVID-19 outbreaks as states reopen

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As states across America being to reopen, some scientists are voicing fears about so-called “superspreaders” who may be responsible for larger numbers of coronavirus cases through airborne transmission.

Although many businesses are reopening with stringent social distancing guidelines, those practices vary significantly from state to state and even from city to city within various states.

Kimberly Prather, an atmospheric chemist at University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, wrote in a recent perspective paper in Science that a review of existing literature provides evidence that the new coronavirus can linger in the air, perhaps even for hours, before entering a person’s lungs.

“Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 is silently spreading in aerosols exhaled by highly contagious infected individuals with no symptoms. Owing to their smaller size, aerosols may lead to higher severity of COVID-19 because virus-containing aerosols penetrate more deeply into the lungs,” the paper concluded.

COVID-19 ‘DEATHS OF DESPAIR’ COULD REACH 150,000, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

With social distancing guidelines enforced, crowds gathered on Mission Beach on Memorial Day weekend during the COVID-19 pandemic in San Diego, California. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

That initial paper from Prather and her colleagues was meant to encourage the widespread adoption of wearing a mask in public. Researchers are still trying to figure out whether aerosols can pack a strong enough viral punch to infect people; some scientists believe that more study is needed, while others say enough evidence already exists to proceed with caution.

“People should be wary of crowded, indoor spaces and those with poor ventilation,” Linsey Marr, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech and one of the country’s top experts on the airborne transmission of viruses, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

COVID-19 COULD BE SEASONAL ILLNESS THAT RETURNS AS HUMIDITY DECREASES, NEW AUSTRALIA STUDY REVEALS

Scientists now believe that infected people can pass along the virus before they start showing any symptoms (like coughing). That’s part of why aerosol experts wonder how droplets could be the main form of transmission — since a large percentage of infections are blamed on asymptomatic people.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, scientists are working with environmental engineers to find solutions for building owners to make them safe for workers. That could mean limiting recirculated air or even zapping rooms with ultraviolet light.

As of Monday evening, there were more than 1.7 million infections and at least 104,702 deaths from COVID-19 in America.

Coronavirus waivers required at some reopened gyms, salons and offices

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That could be the new normal at hair salons, fitness centers and many other venues across the country as businesses grapple with how to balance the health of their customers with their own liability amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Reuters, a wide range of companies are using signs, forms and website notices as a shield against lawsuits. However, experts said the measures do not prevent people from seeking damages due to negligence.

COVID-19 ‘DEATHS OF DESPAIR’ COULD REACH 150,000, NEW STUDY SUGGESTS

Some of the venues introducing waivers that disavow responsibility for anyone who may contract COVID-19 onsite reportedly include the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, a real estate agency in Arizona, a racecar speedway in Seinsgrove, Pa., and the New York Stock Exchange.

Will gyms and other businesses require customers to sign a waiver in order to enter? (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Everyone from events industry workers, including makeup artists and wedding photographers, are using COVID-19 waivers, according to Paige Marie Griffith, a Montana-based lawyer.

CAT IN FRANCE THAT CONTRACTED COVID-19 SURVIVES INFECTION

“As essential as we feel, everyone getting their hair done is choosing to do so,” Cody Brooke, who owns 10th Avenue Hair Designs in Pensacola, Florida, told Reuters. “We don’t want the salon or stylist to be held liable knowing that they chose to come in.”

The salon has required clients to sign a form stating they have no COVID-19 symptoms and have not visited a “hot spot” with high infection rates in the last 30 days since reopening in mid-May.

Even some large companies are taking similar steps.

Walt Disney’s website cites “severe illness and death” risks for customers at its Orlando, Fla., amusement parks, which are set to reopen on July 11.

As of Monday afternoon, there were more than 1.7 million infections and at least 104,702 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S.

The hunt for Red Hugh: Archaeologists in Spain search for 16th-century Irish chieftain’s bones

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Archaeologists in Spain are searching for the bones of Red Hugh O’Donnell, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who fought English rule in Ireland and died in exile.

Born into a noble family, Red Hugh O’Donnell is known as ‘Red Hugh’ as a result of his Irish family name “Ruadh O’Domnhaill” – “Ruadh” is the Irish word for red.

A rebel leader, O’Donnell fought in the Nine Years War against the English in Ireland, which began in 1593. In 1601 after English forces defeated O’Donnell and allied Spanish troops in the battle of Kinsale, he left Ireland, according to the Ask about Ireland website. The nobleman traveled to Spain to request further help from King Philip III, but, nine months later, he was struck down by illness and died, the website explains. He was 30 years of age.

FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION PROVIDES GLIMPSE OF PRIEST WHO DIED 900 YEARS AGO

O’Donnell was in Valladolid, then the capital of Spain, when he died in 1602.

Picture shows human skeletons found in an archaeological excavation carried out by the Hispano-Irish Association in a ruined chapel in Valladolid, that expects to identify the remains of the Irish rebel lord Red Hugh O’Donnell, on May 28, 2020.
(Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images)

An excavation is now underway in Valladolid to find the remains of O’Donnell. The Irish Times reports that he was buried with much pomp and circumstance in the Chapel of Wonders, which was part of a Franciscan monastery in the city. In 1836, the monastery was leveled, it reports.

The chapel was also once the burial place of Christopher Columbus.

HIDDEN UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS DISCOVERED NEAR WESTERN WALL IN JERUSALEM

Archaeologists have already uncovered remains during their excavation in a Valladolid city street. A vital clue in identifying the rebel leader is that his skeleton will be missing the big toe on each foot, according to the BBC. O’Donnell lost the toes to frostbite while escaping English forces during the winter of 1591, the Irish Times reports.

An archaeologist works in an excavation carried out by the Hispano-Irish Association in a ruined chapel in Valladolid – May 28, 2020.
(Photo by CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images)

“In the chapel of Wonders, in the exact place where Red Hugh O’Donnell is believed to have been buried as well as Christopher Columbus, some remains and two coffins have appeared,” tweeted Valladolid Mayor Oscar Puente on May 26.

The BBC reports that 15 sets of unidentified human remains have been found at the site. However, only one skeleton’s feet were discovered intact, according to the BBC.

Carlos Burgos, a spokesman for the Hispano-Irish Association, which is conducting the excavation with the city of Valladolid, told Fox News that the 15 skeletons were found in an area that was once the entrance to the chapel.

“Now, we have to do some scientific analysis of all the remains,” he said. “We have to have time to analyze properly.”

Another challenge that the archaeologists face is that most of the chapel is now beneath a building. While researchers found the 15 skeletons by excavating beneath the street, there may be many more within the rest of the chapel.

ANCIENT CANNABIS AND FRANKINCENSE DISCOVERED AT BIBLICAL-ERA SHRINE IN ISRAEL

Archaeologists are looking into the possibility of excavating beneath the building, although Burgos acknowledges that seeking Red Hugh’s remains in that area is easier said than done.

“A good thing would be if one of the [15] skeletons belongs to Red Hugh,” he explained.

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Fox News has reached out to Puente and the city government of Valladolid with a request for comment on this story.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

NASA astronauts describe their historic SpaceX ride to International Space Station

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NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have described their historic ride to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour capsule.

Speaking during a press conference on Monday morning, Behnken said that the first stage of their ascent was smoother than they had experienced on shuttle missions, but described the second stage as “a little rougher.” However, Behnken noted that both he and Hurley were expecting that.

NASA ASTRONAUTS BOARD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION IN HISTORIC SPACEX MISSION

“We were both commenting on it as we were going uphill,” he explained.

In this image taken from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule, with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Robert Behnken aboard docks with the International Space Station Sunday, May 31, 2020.
(NASA TV via AP)

Hurley also described their capsule’s docking with the International Space Station.

“We didn’t feel the docking – it’s so smooth, and we docked,” he said. “On shuttle, we felt the docking.”

The two astronauts, both veterans of Space Shuttle missions, boarded the orbiting space lab Sunday following the eagerly-anticipated launch of the Demo-2 mission from Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission is the first time that astronauts have launched from American soil since the final Space Shuttle flight in 2011.

Behnken and Hurley made the journey in new specially-designed SpaceX spacesuits that replaced the bulkier spacesuits of earlier missions.

“For both Doug and I, we would have to give the suits a 5-star rating,” added Behnken.

SPACEX MAKES HISTORY, LAUNCHES NASA ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE FROM US SOIL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (right) and Bob Behnken (second right) after boarding the International Space Station, where they were welcomed by fellow astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy (center) and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin (left) and Ivan Vagner (second left).
(NASA TV)

On their arrival at the ISS, the astronauts were warmly welcomed by fellow NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, commander of the Space Station’s Expedition 63 and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.

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The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches into space from Kennedy Space Center with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020.
(Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

The duration of their stay on the Space Station is yet to be determined.

The Associated Press contributed to this article. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers