Although this year’s Christmas celebrations had been muted around the world due to the pandemic, the festive cheer still managed to spread around the room. The astronauts of the International Space Station (ISS) not only celebrated Christmas on board the space station, but also sent a message of human resilience back to Earth.
All seven members of the ISS’s Expedition 64 crew took the day off in orbit to relax, but five of them beamed some special videos for everyone on Earth. They talked about how the pandemic changed lives, greeted the human spirit, and talked about how they celebrate Christmas, displaying gifts received through special delivery.
Although the crew took a day off, they stressed that the Mission Control team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston works around the clock and will be working all days during the vacation break, and they gave a special shoutout.
Opening hours for Mission Control at NASA Johnson?
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Flight controllers get a special❄️ #Vacation ❄️ shout out @Space station Residents @NASA_Astronauts Kate Rubins, @AstroVicGlover, & @RTLnews!📸: NASA / Anthony Vareha pic.twitter.com/tYgrQpz5H8
– Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) December 24, 2020
The international crew on the ISS consists of NASA astronauts Kate Rubins, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover Jr. and Shannon Walker; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi; and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Ryzhikov.
In keeping with traditions, they decorated the ISS with Christmas decorations made with items found around the station and showed off by challenging the mission control crew to create Christmas decorations made only from materials found in the building. Scoville, wearing a festive red-green Christmas blazer, replied, “Challenge accepted!” before adding, “Maybe I should cut this coat and turn it into something new later.”
The Exp 64 astronauts talk about the vacation far from family and friends, show off some of their presents and give Mission Control a decorating challenge @NASA_Johnson. pic.twitter.com/sNcssj6Eio
– International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 24, 2020
The holiday spirit was evident in the video messages when SpaceX Crew Dragon pilot Victor Glover showed off his socks – custom printed with photos of his family member – and Soichi Noguchi, engineer at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, shared an early Christmas gift for the team – one can of mackerel made by a group of school girls. “This is a tiny, tiny can of mackerel, but a huge leap forward for Japanese high school students,” Noguchi joked as he flaunted the gift.
And since Christmas isn’t complete without Santa, astronauts on the ISS received a special visit for the first time from a strange spacecraft – powered by a reindeer and with a cheerful old elf. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) have unveiled a new video of Santa’s flyby past the station for the festival.
Are you waiting for a visit from Santa’s sleigh? Our @NASA_Astronauts do the same! This year @NORADSanta makes a special stop at the International @Space station to deliver presents.
Keep track of where else he’s going: https://t.co/TAfztY2fO7 pic.twitter.com/H0RHyTb7fC
– NASA (@NASA) December 24, 2020
“For the very first time, the FAA gave Santa a special commercial space permit for a manned mission to the International Space Station with its StarSleigh-1 space capsule powered by the Rudolph Rocket,” FAA said in a statement. “Let’s face it, 2020 was a tough year and we could all use some special holiday cheer that only Santa can bring,” he added.
Earlier, they took some time to send home a message of ‘resilience’ during a particularly difficult holiday season, reiterating the meaning of the name they gave to the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that four of the astronauts took to it. space station launched in November.
.@NASA_Astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, Kate Rubins and @JAXA_nl astronaut Soichi Noguchi reflects on an unprecedented year and reminds us of the resilience of the human mind as we enter a new year. pic.twitter.com/zK9CgG9ZdA
– International Space Station (@Space_Station) December 22, 2020
Away from home and family on Earth, astronauts have spent the past 20 years on vacations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and each year immortalized the events by adapting newer ways to enjoy festivities in space.