Festivities in space: The Expedition 16 crew aboard the International Space Station sends best wishes for the holiday season.
Credit: NASA
BRISBANE: Ever wondered how astronauts spend their Christmas? The crew of the International Space Station have given us a peek at their festive decorations and share their thoughts for the holidays.
The three spacefarers who make up the current crew, have sent their Christmas greetings to Earth via a video message as they prepare to spend the festive season in orbit.
American astronauts Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani along with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko can be seen sporting Santa hats that bob about in zero gravity.
Peace and goodwill
"I will have the opportunity to look upon the Earth as we go around… every 90 minutes and reflect on a hopeful future of peace and a single mankind, a goal that we can strive for and hopefully achieve," said Tani, a NASA flight engineer from Lombard, Illinois. "That's what my wish would be for this Christmas season."
Whitson, Tani and Malenchecnko are part of the 16th mission to the ISS, which has been continuously inhabited since November 2000. Since the orbital construction began in 1998, the station has received over 300 visitors, hosted five space tourists and even provided the venue for one marriage.
The current crew have been manning the station since October and will remain on board until at least January. They will have some off-duty time for the holidays and plan to share a special meal, for which they have saved certain food items, including smoked turkey and dressing.
Gifts in space
The spacefarers can even look forward to fresh food and some gifts, thanks to a special delivery due from a Russian Progress cargo ship on 26 December.
The crew plan to exchange gifts on-board, which means they must have either done their Christmas shopping well in advance, or come up with an innovative solution during the mission. Their Earthbound relatives can also expect to receive a very-long-distance phone call on Christmas day.
In a recent press conference, Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani stated that they won't reveal all their plans before the holidays, so some surprises might be in store. "I expect to have an exciting and fun time floating here on Christmas," said Tani.
The ISS functions as a research facility that orbits the Earth at a typical altitude of 340 km. The station's ongoing assembly is a joint venture between the space agencies of the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe.
