Happy Thanksgiving! In the United States, family gathers together to share what it is they are thankful for, and to spend time with one another. However, in space, astronauts don’t have the opportunity to meet and gather with their families – they are still required to work.
Although astronauts aboard the International Space Station would spend the day hard at work making scientific observations, at the end of the day they would still have the opportunity to enjoy a space version of a turkey dinner. There are only two Americans aboard the ISS, but everyone would come together to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.
Instead of consuming their dinner the traditional way such as eating off of plates, everything the astronauts consume will come straight out of prepackaged pouches. The food definitely doesn’t sound very appetizing, but Kimbrough, an American astronaut, assured that “it’ll taste really good, just like you’re having it at home.”
Rather unfortunately, the astronauts won’t be stuffing themselves into a food coma, unlike those in the U.S. on this celebrated day. Instead, they will be consuming restricted portion sizes of turkey, strawberries, and tea.
Although they’re not given the much revered Thanksgiving break, these astronauts and cosmonauts have the great opportunity of living and observing science in space, which is a rewarding experience all on its own.