We are not astronauts, but we survived the launch.

I couldn’t be prouder of the work this phenomenal and tireless team has produced. From live-tweeting events to breaking news briefs to crafting in-depth pieces to creating impressive infographics and detailed tracking tables, TNI’s small but dedicated reporting corps has not missed a beat. Nor slept much, either.

I am also thrilled to see so many readers engaging on the site. We've had 17,000 unique visitors in the nine days since we launched and new readers are showing up daily, many asking good questions or providing helpful insight in the comments, others emailing us with excellent suggestions and constructive criticism.

We have had glitches out of the gate, of course. And the site will continue to evolve -- a search function, RSS feed, and even a mobile app are in our future, and much more.

But from the best reporting yet on the Clark County School District’s reorganization and a questionable no-bid contract (by Jackie Valley) to superb profiles, issue pieces and breaking news from our Carson Trio (Megan Messerly, Michelle Rindels and Riley Snyder) to our En Español page being populated with some great content (by Luz Gray), we have begun what I hope will be a long and fruitful journey.

Our columnists, Orrin Johnson and John L. Smith, already have produced provocative pieces about Reno city government and the Las Vegas Sands’ federal fine, respectively. Their distinctive voices are a welcome addition to the site.

The remarkable Elizabeth Thompson, our managing editor, has handled staff and operational issues as well as assisting with editing, keeping everything running smoothly. Our CTO and webmaster, CJ Keeney, has also been rock solid every step of the way. We could not have built the site so quickly and so well without his oversight and tireless work ethic.

Our special correspondent, the incomparable Heather Murren, produced a piece on cybersecurity that was at once revealing and terrifying. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Additionally, we invited private citizens to submit op-eds on ESAs and published six of them, three pro and three con. We’ll be inviting op-eds on key issues from time to time, and we’re always accepting proposals for freelance submissions if you have the itch to write. We'll also be adding new ways to engage with our content, so be on the lookout for those.

I am pleased, too, with our first poll, as we were able to gauge the mood of the Nevada electorate on a variety of issues.  We will be bringing you more surveys in the months to come.

This is just the beginning. When the legislative session begins in 10 days, you will see coverage unlike anything this state has seen while Valley and Gray complement the capital reporters with enterprise stories of their own. Johnson, Smith, Murren and yours truly will be around to help put everything in perspective.

We have been gratified and humbled by all of the donations, large and small, and warm notes of encouragement. Thank you for supporting our work.

Now that we have successfully taken off, as I have said, it’s time to boldly go where no Nevada news organization has gone before. I hope you will join us for the ride.