Astronauts on the International Space Station were specially visited by a strange spacecraft that...
“Thanks to the magic of Santa's sleigh, this year hemakes a special stop on his journey to the International Space Station (ISS), says the video. "The NORAD satellites spotted Santa Claus on the right track straight to the ISS and the astronauts who live and work on board."
NORAD tracks trip around the worldSanta Claus every Christmas, but this year things are a little different. The Federal Aviation Administration has granted Santa and his reindeer sleigh an official space license to launch, land, and fly to the station with a crew. That cleared the skies for Santa's trip to the space station, where seven astronauts and cosmonauts are working on the Expedition 64 mission.
The flight of Santa Claus over the Earth can be watched live.
According to the FAA (Federal AviationUS Administration), Santa "apparently flies on the StarSleigh-1 ship with the Rudolph Rocket." Rudolph the Reindeer is clearly visible in the NORAD/AGI video, illuminating the depths of space with his bright red nose.
Let us remind you, Rudolph, the red-nosed northerndeer is a literary and film character who first appeared in the work of Robert L. May in 1939. Rudolph, created as part of a Montgomery Wards Christmas sales campaign, has since become a character primarily associated with Christmas and Santa Claus.
The new video has some special features.Only one SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is visible at the station (there are currently two docked there), and the recent Northrop Grumman NG-14 Cygnus cargo ship (which departs the station next month) is nowhere to be seen.
Still, it's nice to see Santawearing a spacesuit helmet in an open sled, although this appears to be just an extra precaution. An AGI spokesperson assured Space.com that Santa and his reindeer "don't actually need spacesuits because of their magic."
Follow Santa's journey around the world on the dedicated NORAD Santa Tracker website.
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