Seven astronauts are celebrating the holiday season aboard the International Space Station, but that doesn’t stop them from trying a few holidays back to Earth.
Expedition 64 crew members are taking the day off, but NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Kate Rubins, and Japanese space program astronaut Soichi Noguchi gave some time to send a message of “suffering” back home during a very difficult holiday season.
“Resilience” is also the name they gave the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule that sent four astronauts to the space station last month.
“We chose that name in honor of people around the world and the teams that will help make our mission possible in a year that has changed our entire lives,” Hopkins said. We would also like to remember all those who lost us this year. “
“There could not have been a more appropriate name to describe 2020,” Glover said. “The resilience of the human spirit is something we can truly celebrate in this special season.”
“As we prepare to keep an eye on the holidays far away from our loved ones, we look down on our precious planet, and it becomes clear how connected we are. we really are, “Walker said.
Hopkins, Glover, Walker and Noguchi launched to the station in November, joining Rubins as well as Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who all spend Christmas at ease, calling family and friends and sharing Christmas food together.
“My family on earth is definitely in my thoughts and prayers, and on my socks,” Glover added. another video, marking his custom socks with pictures of family members. “But that also makes me think about the people who also can’t spend the holidays with their families,” he said, thanking service members and health care staff during the outbreak. spread.
Earlier this month, a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship We arrived at the ISS with new supplies – including Christmas presents and arrangements. Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, cornbread garnish, cherry raspberry cobbler, potato au gratin, biscuits and other morsels came for a seven-day holiday party.
The holidays “mean all three F’s – family, friends and food,” Walker said.
Noguchi also received a special meal from a group of Japanese students from Wakasa High School: a small can of mackerel.
“We hope you can also take the opportunity to celebrate the holidays before we turn the calendar into a new year, with renewed hope and spirit for the future,” Noguchi said.
Rubins said the team is hosting a competition this Christmas against the Mission Control team at Johnson Space Center – whichever team decorates the workstations with the best DIY decoration from what they have on hand. space and in Mission Control, who wins.
“I know you put out a challenge and let me say, wearing a Mission Control? The challenge was accepted,” said NASA flight director Zebulon Scoville, sporting a Christmas blazer and tie. “I may have to cut this coat up to turn it into something new.”
Santa’s sleigh marked a special stop at the ISS for the first time, according to NORAD, The North American Aerospace Protection Order, which “tracks” Santa’s travels each year. The Federal Administration of Flight Santa cleared Santa for the flight into space Wednesday, allowing him a special commercial space for a crew mission to the ISS aboard his “StarSleigh-1 space capsule, powered by Rudolph Rocket.”
“If we face it, 2020 was a tough year and we could all enjoy a few special holidays that only Santa can deliver,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson.