In this year’s holiday season, the hectic schedule of scientific work also includes time for celebrations on the International Space Station. As if whizzing at a rate of almost 17,500 miles per hour doesn’t make things challenging or strange enough, this time of year finds the space station occupants sharing in the joys of the season from thousands of miles away from family and friends.
A Taste of Earthly Traditions in Space
On December 25, 2024, crew members on the ISS got together to celebrate the holidays, eating special holiday meals launched to them from Earth. Carefully packed to retain freshness and nutrition, the meals allowed astronauts to eat a festive meal of traditional foods like turkey and cranberry sauce, though the foods were in vacuum-sealed packets. Although there was no gravity, the crew made the most of the experience, sharing a meal that simulated the traditional holiday fare back home.
Holiday meals came with a special batch of supplies brought to the station earlier this month as part of NASA’s ongoing resupply missions. Such food packages are an important link in keeping astronauts in touch with life on Earth while they spend extensive time in space.
Decorating the ISS for the Holidays
Beyond the meals, the astronauts tried to give the sterile and utilitarian environment of the ISS some holiday cheer. The crew put up holiday lights, small ornaments, and even a small, space-themed Christmas tree on the space station. These were placed on the space station as a way of adding festive touches to an otherwise highly technical, functional environment.
Astronauts even shared a virtual holiday message with their loved ones mind that transmission times between the ISS and Earth take up to 20 minutes due to vast distances. In a holiday message full of cheer, the astronauts gave thanks for family, global cooperation which makes missions to space possible, and the privilege of being involved in work that is ‘out of this world’.
A Holiday in Microgravity
The holidays in space bring their own set of challenges for the astronauts. Everything from eating to personal hygiene has to be done differently without gravity, but the astronauts have grown accustomed to their new way of life, and the holiday celebrations were no different. As they floated through the modules, they enjoyed their meals and shared stories, creating a sense of unity and community even in the vastness of space.
The festive season is one among others for displaying what teams of several space agencies working together do to complete their mission complement on the ISS. This year’s celebration of the holiday was enabled under NASA and Roscosmos’s involvement with ESA as the participating mission partners, among others.
Science and Unity Look Ahead
But for brief holiday celebrations, the work on scientific research and conducting experiments has continued unabated on the ISS. These missions make it possible to learn more about space travel, human health, and the future of exploration beyond Earth. For many of the astronauts, this is a time of humility in space, realizing collaboration across the world it takes to push the envelope of human knowledge and space exploration boundaries.
While the crew celebrated Christmas in space, it came to symbolize above all humankind’s ability not to succumb-a quality that has driven them into space and continues to do so.
