(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/NASA Hubble Space Telescope)
It took over two decades since human spaceflight began before astronauts were able to celebrate the Fourth of July in space. There have been 73 Americans who have celebrated the holiday in space, and eight of them have celebrated it twice, but each celebration is unique.
How Do Astronauts Celebrate Fourth of July in Space
This year, six NASA astronauts will be spending the holidays in space. They arrived at the International Space Station aboard three different vehicles.
Matthew S. Dominick, Michael R. Barratt, and Jeanette J. Epps by Crew Dragon; Tracy Caldwell Dyson by Soyuz; and Barry E. "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita L. Williams by Starliner. All six shared their Fourth of July message in this video and extended their best wishes to those back on Earth.
This is the largest American contingent in orbit for the Fourth of July since 2006. This was Barratt and Dyson's second Fourth of July holiday in space. More American astronauts will observe Independence Day on the space station in the upcoming years, and eventually, some of them may observe the holiday on or close to the Moon.
Last year, Expedition 69 NASA astronauts Francisco "Frank" C. Rubio, Stephen G. Bowen, and Warren W. "Woody" Hoburg filmed themselves a Fourth of July greeting from the space station. The recording where the astronauts wished everyone a Happy Independence Day was played during "A Capitol Fourth" celebration in Washington, D.C.
In 2022, the astronauts in space also recorded a video. Kjell N. Lindgren, Robert T. Hines, and Jessica A. Watkins - the three NASA astronauts on Expedition 67, wished everyone a happy Fourth of July. Hines uploaded the video to X, formerly Twitter, and in the caption, he wrote, "Happy Birthday America!"
However, over a decade ago, in 2013, Christopher J. Cassidy, an astronaut on Expedition 36, decided to participate in the Four on the 4th road race in his hometown of York, Maine. Even if he was in space, Cassidy participated by wearing the race T-shirt and running on the station's treadmill while watching a video of the previous year's race. In a video message, he encouraged others to spend the holidays with family and friends. Cassidy and fellow Expedition 36 astronaut Karen L. Nyberg also celebrated the 2013 Independence Day by decorating cookies in the colors of the American flag.
Other Holidays in Space
In December, four astronauts spent Christmas on ISS. They filmed themselves sharing their holiday cheers for friends and family as they had to pay for the occasion apart.
Andreas Mogensen of ESA, Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA, and Loral O'Hara of NASA were in holiday spirits in the video, dressed in red and green Santa hats. It was the first time O'Hara and Moghbeil were celebrating a holiday in space.
O'Hara said the ISS "represents the best of all of us," and it was reportedly beautiful to look down on Earth. Moghbeli said holidays evolved beautifully over time. She even brought a felt menorah to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah in space.
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