NASA Johnson Center Marks 25 Years of Space Holiday Celebrations

USA: NASA Johnson Center Marks 25 Years of Space Holiday Celebrations

Milestone Celebration

NASA’s Johnson Space Center commemorated a quarter‑century of holiday observances aboard the International Space Station, highlighting that crews from the United States, Europe, Japan and Russia have marked festive occasions while orbiting Earth at roughly 17,500 miles per hour.

Holiday Traditions in Microgravity

Since the first long‑duration stay, astronauts have celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, birthdays and national holidays every 90 minutes as the station circles the planet at an altitude of about 250 miles.

Culinary Preparations

Special meals are prepared by the Space Food Systems Laboratory at Johnson, where astronauts work with nutritionists and food scientists to select menus before launch; cargo deliveries often include Holiday Bulk Overwrapped Bags containing items such as clams, oysters, turkey, green beans, smoked salmon, candies, icing, almond butter and hummus.

Festive Activities

Crew members exchange small gifts that float through the modules, adorn the interior with decorations, and maintain contact with families through video calls, reinforcing a sense of home even while far from Earth.

Recent Celebrations

The Expedition 73 crew celebrated Christmas in December 2025, while Expedition 70 astronauts shared a Christmas Day meal in the Unity module in December 2023; earlier missions such as Expedition 64 (2019) and Expedition 72 (2024) also featured decorated cabins, holiday‑themed snacks and improvised ornaments.

Impact on Crew Morale

According to NASA statements, these traditions help sustain morale, provide psychological relief and strengthen international cooperation among the multinational crews.

Looking Ahead

The International Space Station remains a vital scientific platform, and NASA plans to continue supporting holiday celebrations as part of long‑duration mission preparedness for future exploration beyond low‑Earth orbit.

Dieser Bericht basiert auf Informationen von NASA, lizenziert unter Public Domain (U.S. Government Work).