Astronaut Jessica Meir might be living in space, but she won’t miss out on a Thanksgiving feast.

Meir, along with fellow NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Andrew Morgan, took to Instagram for a sneak peak of the holiday meal they’ll share aboard the International Space Station.

On the menu: smoked turkey, green beans, cornbread dressing and macaroni and cheese they’ll reconstitute with water. For the occasion, NASA sent the astronauts a can of jellied cranberry sauce.

“Of course, it’s got to stay in the shape of the can after you open it up,” Morgan said as the can floated in front of him.

Click arrow to right of first video to see the astronauts display their food.

Meir, a Caribou native who arrived at the space station in September for a six-month stay, suggested they try to stuff the cornbread dressing into the turkey pouches for a more authentic touch.

But what about pie? The closest thing the astronauts have is a cran-apple dessert, but Koch said they have been brainstorming how to re-create pumpkin pie by combining cookies and packets of candied yams.

Meir said she’ll be thinking of her family Thursday.

“To me, Thanksgiving is all about family. I grew up in a family with five kids and as a first generation American I guess my parents had to learn pretty quick how to put on a great Thanksgiving feast. I have a lot of fond memories of growing up and eating with all of my siblings and having a great time,” she said. “As I got older and lived in various places, Thanksgiving turned into an even broader extended family. I have adopted families all over the country. So I’ll be thinking this year about everyone down on the ground celebrating together.”

Send questions/comments to the editors.

« Previous

Next »

filed under: