FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – Friendswood Junior High students watched their seventh grade classmate's dad blast into space on Wednesday afternoon.
Lukas Hopkins father, Commander Mike Hopkins, is a NASA astronaut to the International Space Station.
Andrew Gruber, a friend of Lukas said, "I was nervous that something was going to go wrong. It didn't. Luckily. So it was a successful launch."
This is Commander Hopkins' first trip into space. Mr. Hervada's class plans to share every moment.
"Truly it is indescribable. As children we watched the space shuttle go up. We have watched the International Space Station evolve into what it is today," said Juan Hervada.
Commander Hopkins will spend half a year up there, but first his Soyuz Rocket has to play catch up and dock with the International Space Station before midnight tonight.
Commander Hopkins plans to Skype with his son's class during his six months in space.