“Christmas in Space: The Surprising Dilemma Revealed by Stranded NASA Astronauts’ Festive Photo”

Initially appeared on E! Online

Despite being far away from Earth, the stranded NASA astronauts are embracing the festive spirit this Christmas.

Sunita “Suni” Williams — who has been trapped in space with her colleague Barry “Butch” Wilmore since June — recently joined fellow space travelers in celebrating the holiday aboard the International Space Station.

“Another day, another sleigh,” NASA captioned a recent Instagram photo depicting Williams and American astronaut Don Pettit beaming while donning red Santa hats. “Don Pettit and Suni Williams, Expedition 72 flight engineer and commander, share a lighthearted holiday portrait while communicating via ham radio inside the Columbus laboratory module of the International Space Station.”

While the space explorers appear to be brimming with joy in the December 16 photograph, the cheerful image sparked a significant query among those monitoring Williams and Wilmore’s return journey: How did they acquire Christmas attire after spending more than six months in orbit?

One user remarked, “Where did the Santa hats originate if they’ve been stuck up there for months and anticipated a brief mission? It seems rather peculiar to have those on hand…”

READ: Here’s what NASA’s stranded astronauts feasted on for Thanksgiving aboard the International Space Station

Another observer wondered, “8-day mission, and they happened to bring Santa hats.”

The origin of the Santa hats remained unclear; however, this wasn’t the first instance of the duo spending an unwanted holiday in space — they also marked Thanksgiving on the ISS last month. Although Williams and Wilmore couldn’t be with their families for Thanksgiving, they still commemorated the occasion with a menu featuring all the traditional dishes — albeit in dehydrated space pouch form, naturally.

“We have a variety of food that we’ve stored that is Thanksgiving-themed,” Williams informed NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on Nov. 27. “Some smoked turkey, cranberry, apple cobbler, green beans, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes.”

Pettit, American Nick Hague, along with three other Russian astronauts also joined in on the Thanksgiving feast.

Williams and Wilmore initially found themselves stranded in space in June due to a malfunction with their Starliner spacecraft. Although they aimed for the mission to last merely eight days following their departure from Earth this past summer, a leak concerning its propulsion system has left them adrift.

While their return was originally scheduled for February 2025, it was disclosed earlier this month that their time in space will actually be extended.

NASA has confirmed that the two are not expected back until March or April due to delays in launching their replacements to the ISS.

“We’re feeling well, exercising, maintaining a good diet,” Williams reassured worried followers earlier this year. “We’re having plenty of fun up here, as well. So, you know, people are concerned about us. Really, don’t be concerned about us.”

NASA announced on Thursday that the upcoming Artemis mission, which plans to send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, will now be postponed until 2026.