Crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) enjoyed a festive Thanksgiving-style meal while orbiting roughly 250 miles above Earth. Rather than freeze-dried rations or bland space staples, the holiday resupply brought a specially curated “Holiday Bulk Overwrapped Bag” (BOB), filled with gourmet items like clams, oysters, crab meat, quail, and smoked salmon. 

 

Astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman called this their second Thanksgiving in space — with Fincke calling the experience “highly recommend,” and Cardman praising NASA’s ground-team efforts for thoughtfully preparing holiday fare. 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond seafood, the meal featured traditional holiday dishes adapted for life in microgravity: turkey, mashed potatoes, lobster, and even cranberry sauce (the latter courtesy of the Russian Space Agency). Packaging was designed to prevent crumbs or spills in zero-gravity. 

 

Joining Fincke and Cardman was a diverse crew — including fellow NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, three cosmonauts, and one astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Even for those from cultures that don’t observe Thanksgiving, the meal was a shared moment of respect and camaraderie. 

 

As new crewmembers arrived aboard a recently docked Soyuz MS-28, the holiday gathering on board the ISS took on special significance — a reminder that food, tradition, and community remain grounding forces, even in orbit. 

 

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

The ISS crew enjoyed a special Thanksgiving meal in space, featuring both traditional dishes (turkey, mashed potatoes, lobster, cranberry sauce) and gourmet items like clams, oysters, crab, quail, and smoked salmon. 

 

Food for the holiday was sent up in a “Holiday Bulk Overwrapped Bag” (BOB), prepared by NASA’s ground teams to ensure the festive dinner felt meaningful even in microgravity. 

 

The meal brought together an international crew — astronauts and cosmonauts from NASA, Russia, and JAXA — illustrating how shared traditions can foster unity and human connection on the ISS. 

 

Adapted From 

 

https://interestingengineering.com/space/iss-thanksgiving-feast-nasa

Beautiful! If we only remembered the brotherhood of man here on earth...