Thanksgiving Celebrations in Space

The Thanksgiving vacation usually brings friends and families together in an event of typical thankfulness for all the good ideas that have actually taken place throughout the previous year. Individuals commemorate the vacation in different methods, with parades, football marathons, and participating in spiritual services, however food stays the over-arching style. For astronauts started long-duration area objectives, separation from friends and family is inescapable and they depend on fellow team members to share in the custom and delight in the cooking customs as much as possible. In this most uncommon of years when the pandemic might modify normal Thanksgiving events, it appears suitable to evaluate how astronauts throughout the years have actually commemorated the vacation throughout their time in area. Take pleasure in the stories and pictures from orbital Thanksgiving events throughout the years.

Thanksgiving 1973. Left: Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue, the very first team to commemorate Thanksgiving in area. : Gibson, left, Pogue, and Carr show eating aboard Skylab.

Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue were the very first team to commemorate Thanksgiving in area on Nov. 22, 1973. On that day, their seventh of an 84-day objective, Gibson and Pogue finished a 6-hour and 33-minute spacewalk, while Carr stayed in the Multiple Docking Adaptor without any access to food. All 3 offseted missing out on lunch by taking in 2 meals at supper time, although neither consisted of unique products for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 1985. Left: STS-61B payload experts Charles D. Walker, left, and Rodolfo Neri Vela of Mexico delight in the very first Thanksgiving aboard an area shuttle bus in Atlantis’ middeck. Middle: The STS-61B team enjoying their Thanksgiving supper while drifting in Atlantis’ middeck. : Mexican payload professional Neri Vela, who presented tortillas to area menus.

Twelve years passed before the next orbital Thanksgiving event. On Nov. 28, 1985, the seven-member team of STS-61B, NASA astronauts Brewster H. Shaw, Bryan D. O’Connor, Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. “Woody” Spring, and payload experts Charles D. Walker from the United States and Rodolfo Neri Vela from Mexico, delighted in shrimp mixed drink, irradiated turkey, and cranberry sauce aboard the area shuttle bus Atlantis. Neri Vela presented tortillas to area menus, and they have actually stayed favorites amongst astronauts since. Unlike routine bread, tortillas do not produce crumbs, a possible danger in weightlessness, and have several usages for any meal of the day. The team of STS-33, NASA astronauts Frederick D. Gregory, John E. Blaha, Manley L. “Sonny” Carter, F. Story Musgrave, and Kathryn C. Thornton, commemorated Thanksgiving aboard area shuttle bus Discovery in 1989. Gregory and Musgrave commemorated their 2nd Thanksgiving in area 2 years later on, signed up with by fellow STS-44 NASA astronauts Terrence T. “Tom” Henricks, James S. Voss, Mario Runco, and Thomas J. Hennen aboard area shuttle bus Atlantis.

Thanksgiving 1996. Left: STS-80 astronauts Tamara E. Jernigan, left, Kent V. Rominger, and Thomas D. Jones take pleasure in Thanksgiving supper in Columbia’s middeck. : The STS-80 team throughout aboard Columbia exchanging Thanksgiving greetings with John E. Blaha aboard the Mir area station.

In 1996, Blaha commemorated his 2nd Thanksgiving in area with Russian cosmonauts Valeri G. Korzun and Aleksandr Y. Kaleri aboard the spaceport station Mir. Blaha enjoyed the stunning Earth through the Mir windows instead of his typical watching fare of football. The STS-80 team of NASA astronauts Kenneth D. Cockrell, Kent V. Rominger, Tamara E. Jernigan, Thomas D. Jones, and Musgrave, now on his 3rd turkey day vacation in orbit, commemorated Thanksgiving aboard area shuttle bus Columbia. The 8 team members were in various spacecraft in various orbits, they exchanged vacation greetings by means of space-to-space radio. This marked the biggest variety of individuals in area on Thanksgiving Day approximately that time. One year later on, NASA astronaut David A. Wolf commemorated Thanksgiving with his Russian crewmates Anatoli Y. Solovev, who equated the vacation into Russian as den blagodarenia, and Pavel V. Vinogradov aboard Mir. They took pleasure in smoked turkey, freeze-dried mashed potatoes, peas, and milk. In orbit at the time was the team of STS-87, NASA astronauts Kevin R. Kregel, Steven W. Lindsey, Kalpana Chawla, and Winston E. Scott, Takao Doi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Leonid K. Kadenyuk of Ukraine, aboard Columbia. The 9 team members aboard the 2 spacecraft broke the one-year-old record for the biggest variety of individuals in area at one time for Thanksgiving, likewise setting the record for the most countries represented, 4.

Thanksgiving 2001, Expedition 3 crewmembers taking pleasure in Thanksgiving supper aboard the spaceport station. Left: NASA astronaut Frank L. Culbertson, left, and Vladimir N. Dezhurov of Roscosmos. Middle: Dezhurov, left, and Mikhail V. Tyurin of Roscosmos. : Tyurin, left, and Culbertson.

The Expedition 1 team of NASA astronaut William M. Shepherd, and Yuri P. Gidzenko and Sergei K. Krikalev of Roscosmos commemorated the very first Thanksgiving aboard the International Space Station on Nov. 23, 2000, 3 weeks after their arrival aboard the center. The team took time out of their hectic schedule to delight in ham and smoked turkey and send out words of thanks to individuals on the ground who offered exceptional assistance to their flight. Teams have actually commemorated Thanksgiving in area every November ever since. In 2001, Expedition 3 team members NASA astronaut Frank L. Culbertson, and Vladimir N. Dezhurov and Mikhail V. Tyurin of Roscosmos delighted in the very first genuine Thanksgiving aboard the spaceport station, total with a cardboard turkey as design. The list below year’s orbital Thanksgiving event consisted of the biggest variety of individuals to that time, the combined 10 crewmembers of Expedition 5, STS-113, and Expedition 6. After a hectic day that consisted of the very first Thanksgiving Day spacewalk aboard the spaceport station, the teams calmed down to a supper of smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans with mushrooms. Blueberry-cherry cobbler completed the meal.

Thanksgiving 2008. Left: The Thanksgiving supper reheating in area shuttle bus Endeavour’s food warmer. : The teams of Expedition 18 and STS-126 share a meal in the area shuttle bus middeck.

Exploration 18 team members NASA astronauts E. Michael Fincke and Gregory E. Chamitoff and Yuri V. Lonchakov representing Roscosmos, invited the STS-126 team of NASA astronauts Christopher J. Ferguson, Eric A. Boe, Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper, Donald R. Pettit, Stephen G. Bowen, R. Shane Kimbrough, and Sandra H. Magnus throughout Thanksgiving in 2008. They dined in the area shuttle bus Endeavour’s middeck on smoked turkey, candied yams, green beans and mushrooms, cornbread dressing and a cranapple dessert.

Thanksgiving 2009. Left: Crew members from Expedition 21 and STS-129 share an early Thanksgiving meal. : The Thanksgiving supper for the Expedition 21 and STS-129 teams.

The list below year saw the biggest and a globally varied group commemorating Thanksgiving in area. The 6 Expedition 21 team members, NASA astronauts Jeffrey N. Williams and Nicole P. Stott, Roman Y. Romanenko and Maksim V. Suraev of Roscosmos, Frank L. DeWinne of the European Space Agency, and Robert B. Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency hosted the 6 members of the STS-129 team, NASA astronauts Charles O. Hobaugh, Barry E. Wilmore, Michael J. Foreman, Robert L. Satcher, Randolph J. Bresnik, and Leland D. Melvin. The twelve put together team members represented the United States, Russia, Belgium, and Canada. The event occurred 2 days early, because the shuttle bus undocked from the spaceport station on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving 2010. Left: Expedition 25 leader and NASA astronaut Scott J. Kelly awaits his crewmates at the Thanksgiving table. : The Expedition 25 team of Oleg I. Skripochka of Roscosmos, left, Kelly, NASA astronaut Douglas H. Wheeler, Aleksandr Y. Kaleri and Fyodor N. Yurchikhin of Roscosmos, and NASA astronaut Shannon Walker sending out Thanksgiving greetings to the ground before digging into their supper.

Thanksgiving 2013. Left: Expedition 38 NASA astronauts Michael S. Hopkins, left, and Richard A. Mastracchio displaying food products predestined for the Thanksgiving Day supper. : Close-up of the Thanksgiving supper products, consisting of turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, green beans and mushrooms, and dressing.

Thanksgiving 2014. Left: Eager for Thanksgiving, Expedition 42 leader and NASA astronaut Barry E. “Butch” Wilmore sets out his meal a number of days ahead of time. : Expedition 42 team members Wilmore, left, Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency, Aleksandr M. Samokutyayev and Anton N. Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Terry W. Virts, and Elena O. Serova of Roscosmos take pleasure in the Thanksgiving Day supper.

Thanksgiving 2015. Left: Expedition 45 team members Mikhail B. Korniyenko, left, Oleg D. Kononenko, and Sergei A. Volkov of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren, Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and NASA astronaut Scott J. Kelly position before the Thanksgiving table. : Kelly, left, and Lindgren reveal off the Thanksgiving supper products.

Thanksgiving 2016. Left: Expedition 50 team members Oleg V. Novitsky, left, Sergei N. Ryzhikov, and Andrei I. Borisenko of Roscosmos, Thomas G. Pesquet of the European Space Agency, and NASA astronauts R. Shane Kimbrough and Peggy A. Whitson posture before the Thanksgiving table. : The Expedition 50 team tucks into the banquet.

Thanksgiving 2017. Left: The Thanksgiving table is set. Middle: The Expedition 53 team of Paolo A. Nespoli of the European Space Agency, left, NASA astronauts Joseph M. Acaba and Mark T. Vande Hei, Sergei N. Ryazansky and Aleksandr A. Misurkin of Roscosmos, and NASA astronaut Randolph J. Bresnik patiently waits for the start of the supper. : The Expedition 53 team digs in.

Thanksgiving 2019. Left: The turkey remains in the oven, or more exactly the smoked turkey plans remain in the Galley Food Warmer. : Expedition 61 team members NASA astronaut Christina H. Koch, left, Aleksandr A. Skvortsov of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Jessica U. Meir, Oleg I. Skripochka of Roscosmos, NASA astronaut Andrew R. Morgan, and Luca S. Parmitano of the European Space Agency commemorate Thanksgiving aboard the area station.

Thanksgiving 2020. Left: Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kathleen H. “Kate” Rubins prepares the Thanksgiving supper. : The Expedition 64 team of NASA astronaut Michael S. Hopkins, Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sergei V. Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei N. Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, and NASA astronauts K. Meghan McArthur, Victor J. Glover, and Rubins delighting in the Thanksgiving meal consisting of frozen deals with for dessert.

Thanksgiving 2021. Left: Thanksgiving supper cooking in the “oven” aboard the spaceport station. : Expedition 66 team members NASA astronauts Raja J. Chari, left, Kayla S. Barron, Mark T. Vande Hei, Thomas H. Marshburn, Russian cosmonauts Anton N. Shkaplerov and Pyotr V. Dubrov (partly noticeable), and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias J. Maurer (taking the picture) take pleasure in the Thanksgiving banquet.

Thanksgiving 2022. Exploration 68 team members NASA astronauts Nicole A. Mann, left, Josh A. Cassada, and Francisco “Frank” C. Rubio, and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency send out Thanksgiving Day greetings

Thanksgiving 2023. Exploration 70 team members Andreas E. Mogensen, of the European Space Agency, front left, NASA astronauts Loral A. O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, and Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency beam down their Thanksgiving message to everybody on the ground.

We hope you taken pleasure in these stories, pictures, and videos from Thanksgivings commemorated in area. We wish to want everybody here on the ground and the seven-member team of Expedition 70 aboard the spaceport station an extremely delighted Thanksgiving!