ISS Astronauts Celebrate Thanksgiving with Rehydrated Feast
Space Thanksgiving traditions have evolved since the first celebration in 1973, with more elaborate meals now enjoyed by international crews.
- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) celebrate Thanksgiving with a meal of rehydrated food, including turkey, sent up by NASA on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
- The first Thanksgiving in space was celebrated by Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue on Nov. 22, 1973.
- The first Thanksgiving aboard the ISS was celebrated by the Expedition 1 crew in 2000 with a meal of ham and smoked turkey.
- Over the years, Thanksgiving meals in space have become more elaborate, incorporating mashed potatoes, green beans, and blueberry-cherry cobbler.
- The current crew of the ISS, Expedition 70, includes astronauts from the European Space Agency, NASA, Roscosmos, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.