One of the two NASA astronauts who is unexpectedly spending Thanksgiving in space says he’s grateful for his family and friends who are “lifting up prayers for us” — as the pair prepares to spend the holiday season at the space station after their trip was extended by months.

The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, departed for space on a test flight on Boeing’s Starliner in early June — but after the flight experienced issues, their stay was extended and the spacecraft returned to Earth without them. Now, they are set to stay aboard the International Space Station until February 2025, when a SpaceX capsule is expected to return them home. 

In a space-to-Earth video message, the pair — alongside fellow astronauts, Nick Hague and Don Pettit — expressed their gratitude ahead of the holiday. They showcased a “feast” they’re planning in space, which will include turkey, brussel sprouts, sardines, butternut squash, and apples and spice.

As they miss out on the celebration of Thanksgiving back home with their families, Mr. Hague said the astronauts are “going to celebrate that tradition up here, though our meal may look a little bit different.”

Mr. Wilmore — one of the two who has been in space since early June — has referenced his Christian faith repeatedly during his long stay, and is an involved member and church elder at the Houston-area Providence Baptist Church. His pastor, Tommy Dahn, has previously told the Sun that Mr. Wilmore is a Christian “first and foremost” and that he stays in “constant communication” with his church and family despite the unexpected stay.

“In a personal sense, our family, our friends, those that are lifting up prayers for us and have been, we’re grateful for that,” Mr. Wilmore said in the video message. “We’re grateful for a nation that is a spacefaring nation, that lets us live free, say what we think is important to say, and so many other things —  so much to be thankful for in this season.” 

He said that in a professional sense, he’s grateful for “zero gravity.” 

“I mean, there’s not many places that you can be that you can actually lay on the ceiling, and this is one of them,” he said. 

Three astronauts, Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson, and William Pogue, made up the first crew to celebrate Thanksgiving in space on November 22, 1973. 
Since then, NASA astronauts have had a long history of celebrating the holiday in space, and the space agency says that since “separation from family and friends is inevitable” during long space stays, astronauts “rely on fellow crew members to share in the tradition and enjoy the culinary traditions as much as possible.”