Christmas also arrives in space, as NASA astronauts took the Christmas spirit that reigns on Earth to the International Space Station (ISS), from where they sent a message of greetings to the entire Latin population, so the crew put their Spanish to the test, dedicating a few words to us in our language.
Christmas is only three days away and the atmosphere of festivities and togetherness is beginning to be felt everywhere and, of course, in space could not be the exception, although more than in space, we are referring to low Earth orbit, the area in which the International Space Station is located, where seven cosmonauts are living.
From the ISS, NASA astronauts wish us a Merry Christmas
This is “Expedition 68″, made up of experts from three space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos and JAXA. But, on this occasion, it was only three crew members belonging to the US space agency; Nicole Mann, Frank Rubio and Josh Cassada, and one from JAXA; Koichi Wakata, who addressed the Latin American population to wish them happy holidays, through a video where the four members can be seen with Christmas hats and a boot floating around them:
Merry Christmas! We are ‘Expedition 68’ and from the International Space Station we want to greet the entire Latino and Hispanic community during this holiday season,” says Frank Rubio, an American pilot and flight surgeon of Salvadoran descent.
“We hope it will be a time of peace and joy and of reunion with family and friends”, a situation that he and his flight companions will not be able to experience this year, as they are in the middle of one of NASA’s crucial missions, since during their stay on the ISS, which will last six months in total, they will carry out 200 scientific experiments and technological demonstrations, one of them, for example, will be the 3D printing of human organs to learn more about the way in which some diseases act.
Being in space we will miss our families very much, but we will be celebrating as a family and as a crew; our family in space. Once again… Merry Christmas,” Rubio concludes, in chorus with the astronauts in the frame.
As every year, the cosmonauts installed in the ISS also enjoy a Christmas dinner, however, so far, the space agency has not informed about the menu they will enjoy this Christmas Eve.