NASA astronauts stranded in space plan Thanksgiving celebration – Space News – News
NASA astronauts, currently ‘stranded’ in space, have revealed their plans for Thanksgiving and the menu for their festive meal.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have been orbiting Earth since June 5, initially setting off on what was supposed to be a short eight-day mission to the International Space Station.
NASA regularly develops advanced technology to monitor developments in space, like a telescope that can capture uber-detailed images.
As per NASA’s most recent update, they’re not anticipated to return until at least February 2025 due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner shuttle. Despite the significant delay, they voted in the US election and plan to celebrate Thanksgiving.
In a message broadcasted from space, the astronauts shared how they would spend the day and what they’d eat.
Suni greeted viewers by saying, “Greetings from the International Space Station. Our crew wants to say a happy Thanksgiving to our friends and family and everyone down on earth supporting us.
Her astronaut colleague then detailed their plans, adding: “We’re going to celebrate that tradition here, although our meal might look a little bit different. We’ve got a feast – Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, apples and spice and smoked turkey – it’s going to be delicious.”
Amid concerns over their well-being, the NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station due to technical issues maintain a positive outlook.
Worries grew earlier when they appeared more gaunt in recent photographs, especially after an image of Williams from September 24 showing her looking significantly thin sparked concerns about her health.
On her 159th day aboard the ISS, the astronaut put such concerns to rest in a live broadcast hosted by The Daily Mail.”
“I think things shift around quite a bit,” Williams said about changes in physical appearance due to fluid shifts in space, noting that it can affect how their heads and bodies look.
“Folks in space, you know, their heads look a little bit bigger because the fluid evens out along the body,” she elaborated, adding that while she may seem leaner, her body size has increased.”
“My thighs are a little bit bigger, my butt is a little bit bigger. We do a lot of squats.”
At age 59, Williams emphasized the importance of physical activity in space to preserve strong bone density.
She pointed out that astronauts could lose as much as two percent of their monthly hip and spine bone density.
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