The holiday spirit truly knows no bounds, even thousands of miles away from Earth. Recently the stranded NASA astronauts,
Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, in space, found a way to celebrate Christmas aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Even after their extended stay orbiting above the Earth, this festive photo of the astronauts in Santa hats managed to pique the curiosity of many on social media.
What does the Viral image show?
The viral image now circling through the Internet was put up on Instagram by NASA and features Williams grinning with fellow American astronaut Don Pettit, both wearing red Santa hats. The image was captioned, "Another day, another sleigh". In the photo posted by NASA, Williams and Expedition 72's flight engineer, along with their commander Wilmore, pose for a holiday picture inside the Columbus laboratory module on board the ISS, while talking on a ham radio.
Why has this photo raised controversy?
What lies on the top of the list of questions is how did they manage to get the Santa hats to space, considering the planned short missions that have now been extended to six miserable months. The answer might lie in the long preparations for Christmas. The two astronauts had most likely picked up Santa hats from the ISS in November just before Thanksgiving and then celebrated with that special Christmas gift even when they were miles away from home.
How did social media react?
The video quickly became a focal point as a topic of speculative theories on social media, with users questioning whether the astronauts had prior knowledge of their extended stay aboard the ISS. One user asked, “Wait, you brought Christmas decorations into space months ago?” Another commented, “These the same guys who went up for an 8-day mission in June?” A third user questioned, “How do they have Christmas gear when NASA was supposed to bring them home six months ago?”
Another post read, “Did they take Santa hats with them before they launched in September? Or did they knit them while they are there?” A fifth user wrote, “Who delivered the Christmas hats and decorations? So… you thought far enough in advance to pack them, even though extra space in the capsule is at a very high premium?” Some even suggested that the decorations were evidence of a larger conspiracy, suggestinhg the astronauts were not actually stranded in space. “It’s all one big show,” one commenter alleged, while another user on X speculated that the footage of astronauts floating in space was filmed in a studio.
The astronauts had previously celebrated Thanksgiving
The astronauts celebrated Thanksgiving with a menu that included dehydrated space pouch versions of traditional dishes like smoked turkey, cranberry, apple cobbler, green beans, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes. Despite their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore have maintained a positive outlook, keeping themselves busy with work, regular exercise, and staying connected with their families through video calls.
Start a Conversation
Post comment