The International Space Station accommodates seven astronauts
The Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year holidays are joyful events typically spent with family and friends. Astronauts and cosmonauts who find themselves in space during the holidays have found a unique way to celebrate the occasions.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are spreading holiday joy to Earth through festive pictures just in time for Christmas. Wearing Santa hats in red and green, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, alongside Expedition 70 commander Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency and Japan's Satoshi Furukawa, came together to convey their experience of celebrating the holidays off Earth.
Sharing the picture on Instagram, astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli wrote, "Merry Christmas from the @iss! While I especially miss my friends and family back home this time of year, I wouldn't trade the unique memories I'm making with my space family. We have found little ways to make the holidays feel like the holidays up here. Later today, we will all share a holiday meal and decorate cookies together."
See the pictures here:
Moghbeli, O'Hara, Mogensen and Furukawa recorded their holiday message inside the Kibo laboratory, built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, with a string of flags overhead to represent the many controls involved in the International Space Station (ISS) program, Space.com reported.
"The ISS represents the best of all of us as individuals, and in our countries and in humanity," O'Hara said. "It's beautiful to look down on Earth and have that perspective that we get to have up here. I know it inspires all of us, and I hope it inspires all of you on Earth as well."
Presently, the International Space Station accommodates seven astronauts engaged in a six-month mission in orbit. While Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub are part of the crew, they did not make an appearance in the holiday video.