Two American astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, will enjoy a festive Christmas dinner in space despite their delayed return to Earth. The menu features smoked oysters, crab, duck foie gras, pâté, cranberry sauce, Atlantic lobster, croquettes, and smoked salmon.
Williams and Wilmore, who have been in space since June, will take the day off to connect with family via email and phone calls. However, they must continue their fitness routines on the treadmill and resistance machine to maintain bone and muscle strength.
NASA flight director Chloe Mehring said the day off allows the astronauts to recharge. “They’ll have the day off to talk to family, send emails, they can use the IP phone,” she explained. “We totally understand the challenges of being isolated up there with only each other … yes, it does maybe take a bit of a toll, but they have been very professional and are handling it really well.”
The astronauts share the ISS with fellow space travelers, including NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov. A photo of Williams wearing a Santa hat was shared on social media last month, showing her in holiday spirit.
NASA has announced that their return to Earth will be delayed until “no earlier than late March 2025,” allowing time for the new Dragon spacecraft to complete processing and meet NASA’s requirements.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/astronauts-whose-return-earth-delayed-180000148.html