After 25 years of continuous human presence in space, the International Space Station remains a training and proving ground for deep space missions, enabling NASA to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars. The orbiting laboratory is also a living archive of human experience, culture, and connection.
Creating community
Expedition 34 crew members pictured in the Unity node of the International Space Station in December 2012.
NASA
With 290 visitors from 26 countries and five international partners, the space station has celebrated many different cultures during its 25 years of continuous human presence. Crew members share their holiday traditions, cuisine, music, and games with each other – creating their own community, similar to the ones they have back home, while maintaining a connection to Earth.
Crews living and working aboard the space station during the holiday season have found creative ways to mark the occasions from low Earth orbit. Festive socks, Halloween costumes, mini artificial Christmas trees, champagne, and candle-less menorahs are just a few of the items space station visitors have brought with them to spread holiday cheer.
Mealtimes are also the perfect opportunity to share a taste of home. The space station’s standard menu is inclusive of varied cuisines, but crew members also contribute their own special food items. French astronaut Thomas G. Pesquet once brought macarons to help celebrate his birthday, and several JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronauts have hosted sushi parties.
Sharing a piece of themselves and their cultures not only fosters crew camaraderie but also supports the international collaboration necessary to sustain the space station’s success.
Taking music to new heights
Expedition 55 crew members aboard the space station (from left) are NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, and NASA astronauts Ricky Arnold and Scott Tingle.
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)/Norishige Kanai
The first musical instrument, an acoustic guitar, arrived at the orbiting laboratory in August 2001. Since then, playing music aboard the orbiting laboratory has supported astronaut well-being, fostered relationships among international crew members, and helped them connect with home.
The space station’s instrument collection started with an acoustic guitar and an electric keyboard, and also includes an alto saxophone. Some NASA astronauts bring their own instruments to suit their playing habits – bagpipes for Kjell Lindgren, flutes for Catherine Coleman, a piccolo for Jessica Meir. International partners have, too. In April 2010, JAXA astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Naoko Yamazaki performed a duet using a bamboo flute and a miniature version of a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.
Several crew members have played in concerts on Earth while still orbiting the planet. Coleman played a duet with the frontman of Jethro Tull, for example, and ESA (European Space Agency) Luca Parmitano used the station’s electric keyboard to participate in a concert at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. He later became the first person to perform a DJ set from space.
The space station has even hosted at least one epic jam session, featuring the crew members of Expedition 55 on guitar, flutes, and a drum made from a repurposed waste container.
Read more musical memories here.
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