Christmas dinner in outer area developing!
Astronauts Suni Williams, 59, and Butch Wilmore, 61, have been in outer area since June — however though they are going to be spending Christmas away from Earth, there may be nonetheless a means for them to take pleasure in a festive dinner on the International Space Center.
Williams and Wilmore are set for a Christmas feast, with a menu that features smoked oysters, crab, duck foie gras, pâté, cranberry sauce, Atlantic lobster, croquettes and smoked salmon, in keeping with U.Okay. publication The Times,
MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP through Getty Images
(L-R) Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
The American astronauts can have the break day, per the outlet, however are nonetheless required to take care of their common health routines on each the treadmill and resistance machine so as to preserve their bone and muscle power.
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Chloe Mehring, a NASA flight director, additionally mentioned that the break day will enable the astronauts to attach with household.
“They’ll have the break day to speak to household, ship emails, they will use the IP cellphone [internet phone]. We completely perceive the challenges of being remoted up there with solely one another … sure, it does possibly take a little bit of a toll, however they’ve been very skilled and are dealing with it very well,” Mehring mentioned.
Of course, they are not the one folks on the ISS at current. There are joined by a small group of fellow area vacationers, together with NASA astronaut and photographer Don Pettit, NASA’s Nick Hague and the Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov.
Related: Astronauts Have Already Been in Space for Over 6 Months. Now Their Return Has Been Delayed Again, NASA Says
On Sunday, Dec. 16, Williams was seen in a holiday-ready picture in an Instagram publish shared by NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
In the festive snapshot, the astronaut wore a Santa hat whereas talking on a ham radio contained in the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module.
“Another day, one other sleigh,” wrote the analysis institute in Houston.
Related: Astronauts Whose Return to Earth Was Delayed Make the Most of Their Holiday Season with Festive Photo from Space
Last month, the crew additionally opened up about how they celebrated Thanksgiving throughout an interview with NBC News.
“We have a bunch of meals that we’ve packed away that’s Thanksgiving-ish,” mentioned Williams, who famous she deliberate to look at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. “Some smoked turkey, some cranberry, apple cobbler, inexperienced beans and mushrooms and mashed potatoes.”
In an interview with Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News that very same month, Williams mentioned she and Wilmore had been “feeling good, figuring out, consuming proper — it’s simply superior.”
“We have lots of enjoyable up right here too,” she added. “People who’re fearful about us, actually, don’t fear about us … we’re a contented crew up right here.”
Related: NASA Makes Decision to Bring Home Astronauts Who Have Been Stuck in Space for 80 Days
Earlier this month, NASA introduced the spacecraft that may ferry 4 astronauts to the International Space Station to retrieve Williams and Wilmore — in addition to Hague and Gorbunov — from outer area received’t be able to launch till “no sooner than late March 2025.”
This timeline differs from NASA’s earlier assertion that the astronauts would return dwelling to Earth in February 2025.
Joe Raedle/Getty
(L-R) Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams
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According to NASA, the month-long delay permits the NASA and SpaceX groups time to “full processing” on a brand new Dragon spacecraft for the mission, which is able to supply “the most suitable choice for assembly NASA’s necessities and attaining area station aims for 2025.”
The new spacecraft is scheduled to reach in Florida by early January, NASA mentioned.
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