When each docking port of a space station is full, how will Santa are available in?
The Expedition 68 crew expects the merry elf to return by one of many airlocks of the International Space Station and can stash their stockings there, 4 astronauts shared in a video from space.
“Sadly this yr, all of the docking ports are taken, so we’re anticipating that Santa will seemingly come by the airlock,” NASA astronaut Josh Cassada mentioned within the YouTube video (opens in new tab).Â
He did not specify which airlock Santa will use, however presumably he’s referring to the Quest airlock within the U.S. section. Usually talking, Santa prefers to enter by the Concord module’s zenith or space-facing port close by there, Cassada famous, however there is a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in that slot proper now.
Associated: International Space Station at 20: A Photo Tour
Whereas ready for Santa, the crew has the standard vacation feast deliberate in space. NASA astronaut Nicole Mann tossed the prepackaged meals to her crewmates: spicy inexperienced beans for Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, duck comfit for Frank Rubio, and broccoli for Cassada. Mann additionally confirmed off bread and cranberry sauce.
“One factor that I completely love in regards to the holidays that I’ll miss up right here is getting along with family and friends within the kitchen, and cooking an enormous feast,” Mann mentioned. “It is somewhat chaotic. It is loud. All people’s laughing and having enjoyable, and you’ve got nice smells of cooking.”
On New Yr’s Day, Wakata mentioned, he plans to take an image of the primary dawn of 2023. Pointing at a round window behind him within the Japanese Kibo module, he mentioned it could be “from this window over right here.”
The festive season comes after a really busy few days on the space station. Cassada and Rubio put in a brand new ISS Roll-Out Photo voltaic Array (iROSA) to enhance the station’s energy provide, throughout a seven-hour spacewalk yesterday (Dec. 22). That spacewalk was delayed from Wednesday (Dec. 21) on account of Russian orbital debris veering close to the station.
In the meantime, the Russian facet of the space station is grappling with a Soyuz that lost its coolant dramatically final week. Roscosmos and NASA are persevering with to judge choices, which might imply bringing a brand new, empty Soyuz up in a number of weeks to function a lifeboat for the three astronauts and cosmonauts who will want a trip residence.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a guide about space drugs. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
