Astronauts Whose Return to Earth Was Delayed Make the Most of Their Holiday Season with Festive Photo from Space

Christmas from space!

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, two astronauts who have been in space since June, posed for a festive holiday photo in an Instagram post shared Dec. 16 by NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

The picture shows Williams, 59, and Wilmore, 61, wearing Santa hats as they speak on a ham radio inside the Columbus International Space Station’s laboratory module.

“Another day, another sled,” the Houston research institute wrote in the headline.

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Sunny Williams.

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Astronauts have already been in space for more than 6 months. Now their return has been delayed again, NASA says

NASA announced earlier this week that the spacecraft that will carry the four astronauts to the International Space Station to retrieve Williams and Wilmore will not be ready for launch until “late March 2025 at the earliest.”

The space agency previously said the veteran astronauts were originally scheduled to return sometime in February.

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The delay, NASA said, gives them and the SpaceX teams time to “finish processing” on the new Dragon spacecraft for the mission, which will offer “the best option to meet NASA’s requirements and achieve the space station’s 2025 goals.”

According to NASA, the new spacecraft should arrive in Florida in early January.

Flight Engineer and Expedition Commander Don Pettit 72 poses for a fun portrait during the holiday season while speaking on a ham radio inside the International Space Station's Columbus Laboratory Module.

Don Petit.

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Last month, the ISS crew described how they celebrated Thanksgiving in an interview with NBC News.

“We have a bunch of food that we packed that is like Thanksgiving. Some smoked turkey, some cranberries, apples, green beans and mushrooms and mashed potatoes,” Williams said, adding that she plans to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In an interview with Lester Holt on NBC Evening News that same month, Williams said she and Wilmore were enjoying their time away from Earth, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.

“We feel good, we exercise, we eat right — it’s just great,” she explained. “We’re having a lot of fun up here, too. People who are worried about us, really, don’t worry about us … we’re a lucky bunch up here.”

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Source: HIS Education

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