How the Stranded NASA Astronauts Are Celebrating Christmas in Space

Even though they're thousands of miles away from Earth, the stranded NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station are still finding ways to celebrate Christmas.

In a Dec. 16 Instagram post, astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Don Pettit donned Santa hats for a galactic holiday portrait.

"Another day, another sleigh," the post's caption joked.

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In another post on Dec. 23, the astronauts came together for a video to share holiday greetings with NASA followers.

"Welcome to the International Space Station as we get ready for the Christmas holidays," Williams said.

"It's a great time of year up here. We get to spend it with all of our 'family' up on the International Space Station. There's seven of us up here and so we're gonna get to enjoy company together," she continued.

"One of the best things that I like about Christmas is the preparation [...] and the anticipation, everybody getting together," she added before letting candy canes and holiday ornaments float through the air.

"This year we're gonna be in orbit away from [friends and family]," Colonel Nick Hague said.

"We wanna send our heartfelt merry Christmas and we hope you have a wonderful holiday," he added.

Meanwhile, Pettit revealed that the astronauts will be enjoying a Christmas feast of canned and freeze-dried foods.

Pettit and Hague, along with astronaut Butch Wilmore, wore Santa Claus hats in the video while Williams donned some reindeer antlers.

The posts amused viewers but also raised questions about how the astronauts were able to get their hands on Christmas accessories and decor if they didn't know they would be stranded in space for this long.

According to E! News, the most likely answer is that they picked the items up when they boarded the International Space Station before Thanksgiving in November.

At the time, Williams revealed the crew's Thanksgiving day meal of "smoked turkey, cranberry, apple cobbler, green beans and mushrooms and mashed potatoes."

Williams and Wilmore's Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned in June, leaving them stranded for much longer than their planned eight-day mission.

Now, the pair will not return to Earth until March or April of 2025, according to NASA.

"We’re feeling good, working out, eating right. We have a lot of fun up here, too. So, you know, people are worried about us. Really, don’t worry about us," Williams said earlier this year, per E!

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Gallery Credit: Jacklyn Krol