{"id":18262,"date":"2018-11-21T19:39:27","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T11:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/this-year-therell-be-empty-spaces-at-the-table-for-thanksgiving-on-space-station\/"},"modified":"2018-11-21T19:39:27","modified_gmt":"2018-11-21T11:39:27","slug":"this-year-therell-be-empty-spaces-at-the-table-for-thanksgiving-on-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/this-year-therell-be-empty-spaces-at-the-table-for-thanksgiving-on-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"This year, there\u2019ll be empty spaces at the table for Thanksgiving on space station"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Space
NASA astronaut Serena Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor, at right, takes a group selfie with Russia\u2019s Sergey Prokopyev and Germany\u2019s Alexander Gerst on the International Space Station. (NASA Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for big gatherings around the dinner table, but this year\u2019s feast on the International Space Station will be served to only three people. And only two of them have the day off.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because two spacefliers who were supposed to be in orbit at this time of year missed out on their ride: NASA\u2019s Nick Hague and Russia\u2019s Alexey Ovchinin had to return to Earth just minutes after their launch on Oct. 11 due to a Soyuz rocket malfunction. The next crew won\u2019t arrive until next month.<\/p>\n

As a result, NASA astronaut Serena Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor is the only one on the station who has traditionally observed American Thanksgiving. German astronaut Alexander Gerst is getting the day off as well, even though the closest thing to Thanksgiving in Germany, a harvest festival known as Erntedankfest, is usually celebrated in September or October. And for the third crew member, Russia\u2019s Sergey Prokopyev, Thursday is just another workday.<\/p>\n

In a space-to-ground interview conducted three weeks ago, Au\u00f1\u00f3n-Chancellor said she misses Hague and Ovchinin. \u201cSure, we would love to see them up here, but more important, they\u2019re safe on the ground,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n