In a heartfelt gesture, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) shared their holiday spirit with those on Earth during the Christmas season.
In a video message recorded on December 23, Expedition 72 Commander Sunita “Suni” Williams, along with fellow NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Don Pettit, and Nick Hague, conveyed their holiday cheer from 260 miles above the planet. ‘It’s a great time of year up here,’ Williams remarked, referring to the unique opportunity to spend the holidays with their space-based “family” of seven astronauts.
The crew, which includes Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov from Roscosmos, adorned their space station with festive items such as floating candy canes, a makeshift snowman crafted from stowage bags, and an artificial Christmas tree decorated with ornaments displaying family photos. Wilmore, wearing a cowboy hat under his Santa cap, took the opportunity to highlight the religious significance of the day, stating, ‘And, of course, Christmas is Christ. Hallelujah, a savior is born.’
Despite being away from their families, the astronauts expressed gratitude for the support from mission control teams worldwide, who also sacrifice time with their loved ones to keep missions running smoothly. ‘We work hand-in-hand with the ground every day and over the holidays, we keep this mission going,’ said Hague, acknowledging the joint efforts.
As part of their celebrations, the ground team prepared a special holiday meal, which Pettit showcased in the video, noting the synonymous nature of Christmas with food and feasting. The camaraderie among the crew was evident as they sported festive attire, including Santa caps, during their message.
The astronauts concluded their video with a resounding, ‘Merry Christmas!’ extending their warm wishes to everyone observing the holiday back on Earth.
The holiday message from the ISS underscores the sense of unity and collaboration that extends beyond Earthly borders, illustrating how the human spirit can soar even in the vastness of space.
