May your Christmas

Spending Christmas in space is not yet a common practice, but it has been done before. In 1968, the crew of Apollo 8 became the first humans to orbit the moon on Christmas Eve, and they transmitted a live broadcast back to Earth, which included a reading from the book of Genesis and a rendition of the song "Silent Night". In more recent times, astronauts on the International Space Station have celebrated Christmas while in orbit, with decorations and special meals.

However, spending extended periods of time in space can be challenging for astronauts, as they are away from their families and friends for long periods of time and are exposed to a range of physical and psychological stresses. Despite this, many astronauts describe the experience of seeing the Earth from space as awe-inspiring and life-changing, and it is likely that some will choose to spend Christmas and other holidays in space in the future.