Happy Thanksgiving Spacegiving!
How do astronauts celebrate Turkey Day on the International Space Station? According to a new NASA video featuring astronauts and Expedition 45 crew members Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren, it’s going to be an out-of-this-world day on the ISS -- full of football-watching, time with family and a Thanksgiving feast.
The astronauts’ plans may sound similar to your Earthbound ones, but as the video shows, there are some critical differences.
Here, for instance, is what their Thanksgiving spread -- which includes pouches of irradiated smoked turkey, candied yams and rehydratable corn -- will look like:
“Man, they are delicious,” said Kelly rather unconvincingly as he sampled some yam.
On Thanksgiving, the ISS astronauts will get the day off, and a bit of extra time to speak with their families on Earth. They’ll also get to watch some football, though it’ll be “later in the afternoon for us,” said Kelly.
Still, though the astronauts are far from home and their Thanksgiving grub looks less than appetizing, both Kelly and Lindgren stressed how thankful they are for the opportunity to be on the ISS.
“We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be … living in this amazing orbiting laboratory, a physical manifestation of what is possible when the great countries of the world work together with communication, cooperation and collaboration toward peaceful means,” Lindgren said.
“Being on the Space Station here and looking down at our incredibly beautiful planet gives us a different perspective on what it means to be citizens of planet Earth,” Kelly added.
Lindgren is slated to return to Earth on Dec. 11 after spending about five months in space. Kelly, however, is not due to return till March, when his year-long mission aboard the ISS will come to an end.
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