For astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, this year’s Christmas is out of this world—literally. The two astronauts have been in space since June, and will be spending the holidays orbiting the Earth.
The pair was originally slated to return to Earth sometime in February, according to NASA. Earlier this month, however, NASA announced that the spacecraft set to retrieve Williams and Wilmore at the International Space Station won’t be ready for launch until late March 2025.
Despite this delay, the veteran astronauts are still soaking up the holiday cheer. In a festive portrait shared by NASA on December 16, Williams and Wilmore don Santa hats while speaking on a ham radio inside the Columbus laboratory module.
“The astronauts will spend Christmas and New Year’s Day taking time to relax, open gifts, share a meal, and talk to family,” NASA wrote in a Space Station blog post.
This isn’t the first holiday that Williams and Wilmore are spending away from Earth. In November, the astronauts celebrated Thanksgiving by watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and eating “Thanksgiving-ish” space food.
“We have a bunch of food that we’ve packed away that is Thanksgiving-ish. Some smoked turkey, some cranberry, apple cobbler, green beans and mushrooms and mashed potatoes,” Williams told NBC News.
Regardless of scheduling changes and being away from friends and family during the holidays, Williams and Wilmore are remaining positive and enjoying their time in space.
“We’re feeling good, working out, eating right—it’s just awesome,” Williams said during an NBC Nightly News interview. “We have a lot of fun up here too. People who are worried about us, really, don’t worry about us … we’re a happy crew up here.”
To stay updated on these outer-world adventures, visit the crew’s blog on NASA’s website.
Veteran astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been in space since June 2024.
Suni Williams speaking into the microphone during a HAM Radio session with students from Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (Photo: NASA)
The pair is spending Christmas and New Year’s Day in space, so they shared a festive portrait in anticipation of the holidays.
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Even though their return to Earth has been delayed to late March 2025, the astronauts are nevertheless enjoying their time in space.
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Sources: Station Crew Works Science Installs and Spacewalk Cleanup Before Holidays; NASA Adjusts Crew-10 Launch Date
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