NASA astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) sent holiday greetings to Earth on Monday, Dec 23. Expedition 72 commander Sunita “Suni” Williams and fellow astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Don Pettit, and Nick Hague wished a Merry Christmas to everyone back on Earth.
The crew of seven, including three Russian cosmonauts, decorated the station with festive decorations like floating candy canes and a makeshift snowman made from stowage bags. They also enjoyed a special holiday meal prepared by ground teams.
In their video message, the astronauts shared their appreciation for the sacrifices made by the ground teams that support them in mission control. The crew also showed off some holiday traditions, including a small artificial Christmas tree and ornaments with family photos.
Astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who is an ordained minister, reminded everyone about the religious aspect of Christmas. He said, “And, of course, Christmas is Christ. Hallelujah, a savior is born.” The astronauts closed out their message with a simple, “Merry Christmas!”
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/astronauts-on-iss-beam-holiday-cheer-to-earth-for-christmas-video