NASA Christmas video sparks conspiracy theories about space mission
A Christmas video featuring astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore has sparked debate and conspiracy theories on social media. In the video, the astronauts, wearing Santa hats and surrounded by holiday decorations, extend festive greetings from the International Space Station (ISS), with a small Christmas tree visible in the frame.
“Welcome to the International Space Station as we get ready for the Christmas holidays,” Williams says in the video. “It’s a great time up here, we get to spend it with all of our ‘family’ on the International Space Station. There are seven of us up here, and so we’re going to get to enjoy company together,” she adds, sharing her excitement about Christmas preparations.
However, social media users raised questions about the video. Many were puzzled by how the astronauts had Christmas decorations with them on what was initially planned as an eight-day mission. One user asked, “How did they know to have all these Christmas decorations with them when they were only going in an 8-day mission?” Another speculated, “How y’all get Xmas gear up there, thought it was a short trip that got delayed.”
Some even suggested the video was a green screen production, questioning the authenticity of the footage.
NASA quickly addressed the concerns, confirming to the New York Post that the Christmas items, including the tree and Santa hats, were part of a three-ton delivery sent to the ISS by SpaceX in late November. This delivery, which also included food like ham, turkey, and pies, was part of regular supply missions to the space station. Williams and her colleagues, originally on an eight-day mission in June, have remained aboard the ISS due to a malfunction with their Starliner spacecraft, delaying their return from February to March.
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