Holiday celebrations for astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are pretty similar to how they are on Earth, except for two main factors: the absence of gravity, and a food selection that doesn’t quite match what many earthlings will be enjoying back on terra firma.
As is customary, the current ISS crew of seven inhabitants has been sharing some festive photos from the orbital outpost about 250 miles above Earth.
NASA’s Nick Hague, who arrived at the ISS in September, has posted a picture of the current group of four American astronauts, kitted out in their festive garb, along with the message: “The holidays are all about time spent with family and friends. This year, that celebration is bittersweet. While it’s joyous to share this amazing opportunity to live in space with a truly remarkable crew, I deeply miss my family and friends on Earth.”
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Hague also shared an image (bottom) of all seven crew members — NASA’s crew and three Russians — enjoying a hearty holiday lunch together.
When I think of the holidays, I think of dinners at Christmas, with family and friends gathered for a delicious meal and dessert! For me, it’s cookies. Sugar, mint chocolate, peanut butter; my Dad bakes some of the best on the planet. I wish I had some while I’m off the planet! pic.twitter.com/oEddvsz5BL
— Nick Hague (@AstroHague) December 23, 2024
According to Eater, the typical holiday menu for astronauts aboard the space station features sliced roasted turkey (a freeze-dried item that’s rehydrated by a crew member) and smoked turkey (an irradiated item that’s ready to eat), together with mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, macaroni and cheese, green beans, and cranapple dessert.
To give astronauts on the ISS a taste of home, a team of chefs back on Earth might also prepare a package of holiday foods package containing items such as crab meat, smoked salmon, pork liver pate, jellied cranberry sauce, and pumpkin spice lattes. Once made up, the treats are put into special containers to ensure food safety, longevity, and ease of consumption in microgravity conditions. They’ll then be sent to orbit on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, along with other supplies, a month or two before it’s consumed.
But normal-sized Christmas cookies — or any type of traditional cookie, for that matter — are a big no-no for the ISS, as the resulting crumbs could cause problems by floating away and clogging up the station’s ventilation filters or getting into electric systems and other sensitive equipment. Instead, cookies will be bite-sized or slightly moist to prevent the creation of crumbs.
And while many folks on Earth might be enjoying a tipple around Christmas time, astronauts aboard the ISS can only sip soft drinks as alcohol is banned aboard the facility.
Still, despite the unusual conditions, ISS astronauts are able to celebrate the holidays in their own unique way, and by doing so they become members of a very rare club indeed.