A Christmas photograph shared by NASA astronauts stranded on the worldwide house station has everybody questioning how they bought their palms on Christmas treats.
The photographs, which present Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams and different NASA astronauts carrying Santa Claus hats, was posted earlier this week to rejoice the vacations.
The 2 check pilots have been stranded in house since June, after they blasted off on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the Worldwide Area Station. However their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA determined to ship the corporate’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule again empty in September.
This has led many on social media to query how the astronauts acquired the Christmas decorations they confirmed off of their vacation pictures.
One X consumer wrote: ‘who delivered the Christmas hats and decorations??
‘So…u thought far sufficient prematurely to pack them when further house within the capsule is at a really excessive premium?? hmmm.’
One other echoed the sentiment, including: ‘Simply curious how they’re nonetheless alive with 8 days of meals and Christmas decorations?’
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague and Don Petitt pose for a vacation image on the Worldwide Area Station
Many on social media questioned how the stranded astronauts bought their palms on the Christmas decorations they confirmed off on their vacation video. Williams is pictured with astronaut Don Pettit
A 3rd questioned: ‘How a lot did it value to ship up Christmas hats?’
The viral query prompted commander Nick Hague to disclose the crew acquired the goodies in a cargo from Earth six months in the past.
‘There is no last-minute sprint to the mall to get items on @SpaceSation,’ Hague mentioned.
‘A staff of elves needed to pack up these items 6 months in the past!’
On a vacation video, Williams mentioned: ‘It’s a good time up right here, we get to spend it with all of our ‘household’ on the Worldwide Area Station.
‘There are seven of us up right here and so we’re going to get to get pleasure from firm collectively.’
Mission commander Williams and flight engineer Wilmore took off from Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida on June 5 for a check flight of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule.
The plan was to journey Starliner out of the ambiance, carry out a couple of check maneuvers, and dock with the ISS for an eight-day keep earlier than returning to Earth in the identical capsule.
Nevertheless, issues virtually instantly started to go flawed for the problem-plagued capsule because the craft skilled thruster failures and a helium leak.
The viral query prompted commander Nick Hague to disclose the crew acquired the goodies in a cargo from Earth six months in the past
Whereas Williams and Wilmore have been safely delivered to the ISS, by the point Starliner arrived it had sprung extra helium leaks and 5 of its 28 thrusters had failed.
After weeks of checks, NASA made the choice that it was not secure for the astronauts to return aboard Starliner as initially deliberate.
In September, Starliner was despatched again to Earth empty, touching down in New Mexico after slowing its descent with parachutes.
Mission commander Williams and flight engineer Wilmore took off from Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida on June 5 for a check flight of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule.
The plan was to journey Starliner out of the ambiance, carry out a couple of check maneuvers, and dock with the ISS for an eight-day keep earlier than returning to Earth in the identical capsule.
Nevertheless, issues virtually instantly started to go flawed for the problem-plagued capsule because the craft skilled thruster failures and a helium leak.
Whereas Williams and Wilmore have been safely delivered to the ISS, by the point Starliner arrived it had sprung extra helium leaks and 5 of its 28 thrusters had failed.
After weeks of checks, NASA made the choice that it was not secure for the astronauts to return aboard Starliner as initially deliberate.
Mission commander Williams and flight engineer Wilmore usually are not anticipated to be rescued till March. They’re pictured with their crew members on ISS
A satellite tv for pc picture exhibits an outline of the Worldwide Area Station with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft on June 7
In September, shortly after Starliner’s return, NASA’s Crew 9 mission launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Dragon crew capsule.
Two of the mission’s unique crew have been left again on Earth, liberating up a seat every for Williams and Wilmore.
Crew 9 made it safely to the ISS, however Boeing’s stranded astronauts nonetheless cannot go away the station till a alternative crew arrives.
Below the unique plan, NASA would ship the 4 astronauts of Crew 10 to the ISS on a brand-new SpaceX Dragon capsule in February subsequent 12 months.
After a ‘handover interval’ to assist Crew 10 stand up and operating, Williams, Wilmore, and the members of Crew 9 would then return to Earth of their unique capsule on the finish of the month.
Nevertheless, NASA has now revealed that the brand new SpaceX capsule is not going to be prepared in time to hit that deadline.
The Starliner spacecraft is seen docked to the Concord module of the Worldwide Area Station on June 13
The capsule is not anticipated to reach on the firm’s processing facility in Florida till early January and can nonetheless want greater than a month of testing earlier than it’s prepared.
NASA is now concentrating on no sooner than late March 2025 to launch the rescue crew, which means Williams and Wilmore won’t get again to Earth till April.
The house company maintains that the ISS is well-stocked with every part the crew wants, together with meals, water, clothes, and oxygen, including {that a} latest resupply even introduced some ‘particular objects’ to assist rejoice the vacations.
