Former shuttle commander hosts dicussion on historic lauch

Arizona's Captain Mark Kelly assembles virtual meeting of veteran astronauts

TUCSON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Former U.S. Space Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly assembled some of his fellow astronatauts for a roundtable discussion of Wednesday's historic launch of the SpaceX rocket.

It's the first time a private company has teamed up with NASA to make the trip to the International Space Station (ISS.)

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Among the panelists: Kelly's crewmates Dan Tani and Cady Coleman, as well as Space Shuttle Program Manager and Flight Director Wayne Hale. All fielded questions from the public about today's launch.

Kelly spent a decade flying space shuttle missions for NASA. He is also a captain in the U.S. Navy, and a former fighter pilot.

Kelly is currently a Democratic candidate to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate. He is married to former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords.

WATCH NOW: NBC News continuing coverage of countdown to liftoff