NASA faced many challenges when constructing the spacecraft that was going to launch two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, into space for an eight-day trip to the International Space Station. When they finished building the spacecraft in June, the two astronauts were launched into space and docked at the International Space Station on June 6th. After the eight days were up, the two astronauts said their goodbyes to the other astronauts in the space station. However, their spacecraft had experienced a technological malfunction with its software and was sent back to Earth uncrewed, leaving the two astronauts waiting for another spacecraft to take them back.
Ken Bowersox, an associate administrator of NASA’s space operations mission directorate, expressed sympathy and determination by stating, “I can really relate to how they must be feeling, but we’ll fly them. We’ll find them slots in the future”. Despite staying at the space station for longer than anticipated, Williams and Wilmore were able to participate in a tradition of celebrating holidays in space with the other astronauts at the space station. The tradition started in 1968, when Apollo 8 astronauts broadcasted themselves reading verses from the Book of Genesis for the world to watch. The current crew recorded a message to Earth with Christmas decorations in the background, wishing everyone a wonderful holiday.
The crew made makeshift Christmas decorations using spare items they found in the space station. The astronauts also received supplies from the NASA headquarters in Florida, which included pre-prepared food for the astronauts’ Christmas dinner. Fortunately, a NASA astronaut, Nick Hague, arrived at the space station in September with a SpaceX rocket that had two seats reserved for Williams and Wilmore. Williams and Wilmore are expected to return to Earth in February 2025 due to the amount of debris currently blocking the spacecraft’s course back to NASA’s landing pad.