In June, two NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, set out for what was anticipated to be an eight-day journey to the International Space Station.
On Wednesday — round six months and a number of other spacecraft malfunctions later — they donned Santa Claus hats and wished their households the perfect from tons of of miles above sea degree as their tenure, which is prone to maintain them in Earth’s orbit for a minimum of two extra months, stretched on.
Ms. Williams, 59, and Mr. Wilmore, 61, docked on the house station throughout a check flight of Boeing’s Starliner, which was supposed to be a business possibility for ferrying individuals to and from the station.
But after a spate of malfunctions known as the security of the return flight into query, NASA leaders determined to carry the Starliner to Earth uncrewed, leaving the 2 astronauts behind till one other plane can take them again.
So Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore had an opportunity to take part within the lengthy, unusual custom of celebrating the vacations in house, which started in 1968 when the Apollo 8 astronauts learn verses from the Book of Genesis whereas broadcasting a video of the lunar floor to roughly one billion viewers.
