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Britt Jones
A Christmas photo of the NASA astronauts who are still stranded on the International Space Station until next year has everyone wondering the same thing.
It has been a long time now for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space since June of this year.
The pair initially were only supposed to be on their first flight to the ISS for 8 days, but complications over their craft’s safety led them to have their time extended to eight months.
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This was then further enhanced, and the pair aren’t too sure when they’ll return.
Now that NASA sent their Starliner capsule back empty in September, they’ve been left to wait for assistance.
In the meantime, they continue to give updates on their condition and how they’ve been finding their time in space so far.
While fans have been voicing their concerns over their weight loss and how they look for some time now, people are focusing on a little detail in their latest photo.
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The issue?
Well, it was Christmas and they were able to get Christmas decorations?
In space…
Now, I’m not the most astute person in the world, but how the hell does one purchase Christmas hats outside of Earth?
Maybe there’s a few shops on the ISS I’ve yet to hear about.
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Anyway, others noticed the image showing the pair dressed in Santa hats and Suni wearing a Reindeer headband alongside two other astronauts in their latest picture and wanted answers.
One X user wrote: “Who delivered the Christmas hats and decorations??
“So…u thought far enough in advance to pack them when extra space in the capsule is at a very high premium?? hmmm.”
Another added: “Just curious how they’re still alive with 8 days of food and Christmas decorations?”
A third said: “How much did it cost to send up Christmas hats?”
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However, now that it’s got enough people questioning it, Nick Hague, the commander who was also in the photo has revealed how they managed to get their Christmas gear.
According to the Daily Mail, he shared: “There's no last-minute dash to the mall to get gifts on @SpaceSation.
“A team of elves had to pack up these gifts 6 months ago!”
So, Santa is real.
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This picture comes just over a week after a major update was given on whether Suni and Butch will make it home early next year.
While the astronauts had been due to come back by the end of February, NASA has explained that the rescue mission has been delayed by at least a month as SpaceX needs more time to get their new Dragon capsule ready.
Instead of going to the International Space Station in February, it will not launch before March.
"Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail," NASA's Steve Sitch said.
"We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station programme and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight."