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Astronauts offer thanks, giving space on the shuttle (STS-126 OFK)

November 27, 2008

— Space shuttle Endeavour's crew of seven American astronauts are spending Thanksgiving on the International Space Station today, sharing a traditional (well, almost) dinner with the outpost's three residents and offering their gratitude to those who got them there through a small, but special payload.

"They sent us up with enough meals for the shuttle crew for Thanksgiving, with turkey and cornbread dressing, a cranberry dessert, and candied yams, and... green bean casserole," STS-126 mission specialist Stephen Bowen described on Tuesday during an in-flight media interview. "Since then, we've been kind of collecting food now that we're going to be here with the ISS crew, and now we are going to have enough food for everybody onboard, which is part of Thanksgiving anyway, sharing what you have."

If the thought of a space food Thanksgiving brings to mind squeeze tubes, think again. This is not your father's three- course astronaut dinner.

"It may be called space food, but it is actually very good," added Endeavour's commander Chris Ferguson. "A lot of it is thermostabilized, a lot of the meals come from the military and it's food like you and I enjoy at home. I'm from the Navy and I like Navy food, and I enjoy space food as well."

Don't let Ferguson fool you, though. There is something missing from his ideal Thanksgiving meal aboard the ISS.

"I like the white meat with the gravy, that's my favorite," he admitted in a pre-flight interview with collectSPACE. Though their menu includes smoked breast meat, NASA hasn't yet perfected the art of flying gravy.

"It is a little more challenging when you can't open every thing up in the same way and put dressings on," explained pilot Eric Boe. "It is usually bunched together but that is usually how it ends up on my plate anyway, so I am sure it is going to taste great."

For mission specialist Shane Kimbrough, it is not about the dressing, but how the turkey is prepared.

"Just a fresh one that came out of the oven, which we won't have," he shared of his favorite kind of turkey. The ISS's galley has an oven, but its more of a food warmer than it is capable of baking. "I am not sure I am going to get my wish," resigned Kimbrough.

And though she said she prefers dark meat, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was more concerned about the sides.

"I like my stuffing," she stated proudly. "I don't know what makes it special, but I think it is the way I like it. I use bread cubes instead of bread crumbs. I know some people will sometimes run it through a food mill or something, but I like the chunkiness. I put celery and onions, and I even put a little mushrooms in there. I just like the textures in it. And it's mine."

According to Stefanyshyn-Piper, there just wasn't enough time before the flight to get her stuffing packed for launch.

Thanks-giving

What did make it aboard Endeavour were small souvenirs intended to convey the crew's gratitude for those close to them.

"I have brought a lot of things for the folks who worked on this mission," Ferguson explained. "The first time I flew, I brought the things I wanted, like the flags for my home school, a t-shirt for my high school. But I have asked a lot of the folks who worked very hard this flight, and there are thousands, but the folks who we worked day in and day out, 'Is there anything I could take for you on the shuttle?'"

"That is my way for just giving a little back," he shared.

The crew members, as well as divisions within NASA and its contractors, can request to have items flown inside the Official Flight Kit (OFK). Limited to two cubic feet (0.057 cubic meters) in size, the OFK is flown on every mission as a means of providing a token of gratitude to the groups that contribute to the mission's (and astronauts') success.

Boe, who like Kimbrough and Bowen was making his first spaceflight, wanted to give back to the organizations that prepared him to launch into orbit.

"From Georgia Tech, I have a shirt that is going up, and I have a cap from the Air Force Academy." He also took "a few odds and ends from the the units I was in or programs that I participated in along the way."

Stefanyshyn-Piper carried items for similar reasons as she did on her first mission, STS-115, in 2006.

"There are similar items but they are different. Like on the last flight, I flew a swim cap for my son's high school swim team. Well this time, I have got one for his college swim team. And like I flew last time in honor of my father, I have a small Ukrainian flag."

"Kind of have to spread the wealth a little bit to give other people the opportunity to have a flown item in space," she added.

And as the saying goes, sometimes what comes around, goes around.

"I'm bringing up my spoon," STS-126 mission specialist Don Pettit told collectSPACE. "It's a Russian spoon and it has this really long handle."

Pettit was gifted the spoon, which has come to be known as the "Spoon of Exploration", during his 2002 five-month stay aboard the space station. Since then, he's taken it with him on his other NASA expeditions to Antarctica and elsewhere.

"It's designed for on-orbit use. It's really good for digging down into a deep pouch that has food in it so you don't get your fingers all gooey," Pettit described, which should be perfect for the Thanksgiving meal he'll be sharing with his crewmates.

 


Thanksgiving astronaut-style: Endeavour's crew has turkey with green bean casserole, candied yams, cornbread dressing and a cranberry dessert for their holiday meal. (collectSPACE)




NASA's freeze-dried cornbread dressing does not compare to Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper's own recipe for stuffing. (collectSPACE)

The STS-126 Official Flight Kit Manifest

The following is the STS-126 Official Flight Kit manifest, as provided by NASA. Inventory numbers that are missing indicate items that were removed prior to launch.

No.   Description   Sponsor/Purpose

 

1.

 

  1. 625 STS-126 crew patches

  2. 25 Expedition 17 patches

  3. 25 Expedition 18 patches

 

Agency Presentation

2.

 

600 Small United States Flags

 

Agency Presentation

3.

 

4 Sets U.S. States & Territories Flags

 

Agency Presentation

4.

 

4 Sets United Nations Members Flags

 

Agency Presentation

5.

 

  1. 20 Small Texas Flags

  2. 5 Small NASA Flags

  3. 5 NASA Patches

  4. 5 Texas Lapel Pins

  5. 1 Bronze NASA Seal Medallion

  6. 1 Silver Shuttle Pendant

  7. 6 Small JSC Medallions

  8. 1 11x13" Mississippi State University Flag

 

Agency Presentation

6.

 

10 Small Flags of the Following States:

  1. Georgia

  2. Florida

  3. Minnesota

 

Agency Presentation

7.

 

5 Small Flags of the Following States:

  1. Pennsylvania

  2. Connecticut

  3. Massachusetts

  4. Illinois

  5. Missouri

  6. Texas

 

Agency Presentation

8.

 

2 Small Flags of the Following U.S. States:

  1. Maine

  2. Rhode Island

  3. Vermont

  4. New Hampshire

 

Agency Presentation

9.

 

Small International Flags:

  1. 2 Scotland

  2. 2 Australia

  3. 2 Poland

  4. 10 Spain

 

Agency Presentation

10.

 

Small Military Flags:

  1. 10 U.S. Air Force

  2. 10 U.S. Army

  3. 10 U.S. Coast Guard

  4. 10 U.S. Marine Corps

  5. 30 U.S. Navy

 

Agency Presentation

11.

 

  1. 10 Small United States Flags

  2. 10 Small Alabama State Flags

 

Marshall Space Flight Center Presentation

12.

 

  1. 10 Small Louisiana State Flags

  2. 10 Small Mississippi State Flags

  3. 5 Small NASA Flags

  4. 5 Small United States Flags

 

Stennis Space Center Presentation

13.

 

  1. 2 Small United States Flags

  2. 2 Small Florida State Flags

  3. 10 Small KSC Coins

 

Kennedy Space Center Presentation

14.

 

140 Silver Snoopy Pins

 

Space Flight Awareness Presentation

 

15.

 

25 EVA Patches

 

Agency Presentation

16.

 

  1. 10 STS-126 Crew Patches

  2. 20 Small U.S. flags

  3. 10 DoD Space Test Program Patches

  4. 10 DoD Human Spaceflight Support Office Patches

  5. 6 Space Development & Test Wing Coins

 

DoD Presentation

17.

 

15 STS-126 Crew Patches

 

United Space Alliance Presentation

18.

 

  1. 10 Constellation Patches

  2. 5 Lunar Surface Systems Patches

  3. 5 Altair Patches

 

Constellation Program Office Presentation

19.

 

25 MOD patches

 

Mission Operations Directorate Presentation

 

20.

 

25 COD patches

 

Center Operations Directorate Presentation

 

21.

 

100 Small Enamel Ribbon Lapel Pins

 

Agency Presentation

 

22.

 

Miniature Computer Memory Card

 

Agency Presentation

 

Items 23 through 78 are manifested at the request of the STS-126 crewmembers.

 

23.

 

Launch Patch

 

Math Science and Technology Community Charter School, Philadelphia, PA

 

24.

 

Large Red and White Baseball Jersey

 

Phillies National League Club, Philadelphia, PA

 

25.

 

10"x15" Woven Fabric Net

 

Pearland Intermediate School, Pearland, TX

 

26.

 

Small Navy School T-shirt

 

Cypress Creek Elementary School, Port Orange, FL

 

27.

 

Medium Green School T-Shirt

 

Creekside Intermediate School, Port Orange, FL

 

28.

 

Squadron VF11 Patch

 

U.S. Air Force Fighter Squadron 11, Virginia Beach, VA

 

29.

 

36x50" Navy and Gold Flag

 

National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

 

30.

 

3x5' White, Black and Blue NASCAR Flag

 

Americrown Service Corporation, Daytona Beach, FL

 

31.

 

Black Square Patch

 

Clear Lake High School, Houston, TX

 

32.

 

Lapel Pin

 

Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, GA

 

33.

 

Red, White and Blue Patch

 

Georgia Civil Air Patrol, Atlanta, GA

 

34.

 

Gold and Navy Lapel Pin

 

Henderson Middle School, Atlanta, GA

 

35.

 

Air Force ROTC Medallion

 

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

 

36.

 

12x19" Green and White Flag

 

Fernbank Science Center, Atlanta, GA

 

37.

 

3x5' White Foundation Flag

 

Hertz Graduate Fellowship, Livermore, CA

 

38.

 

Astronautical Engineering Department Medallion

 

U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO

 

39.

 

Black, Red and Blue Ares Patch

 

Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL

 

40.

 

Silver Commemorative Medallion

 

The Spaatz Association, Washington, DC

 

41.

 

Large Navy and White Hockey Jersey

 

Cohasset High School, Cohasset, MA

 

42.

 

Large Navy and Beige Hockey Jersey

 

U.S. Naval Academy Hockey Team, Annapolis, MD

 

43.

 

3x5" Black and Gold Metal Placard

 

Heritage Park Wahoo Swim Team, Friendswood, TX

 

44.

 

2.5x.75" Miniature Pink Ballet Slipper

 

Bossov Ballet Theater, Pittsville, MN

 

45.

 

Gold and Navy USS Nautilus Medallion

 

Sub Force Museum, Groton, CT

 

46.

 

Silver Submarine Warfare Insignia

 

USS Nautilus, Groton, CT

 

47.

 

Bronze Naval Ordnance Test Unit Medallion

 

Department of the Navy, Annapolis, MD

 

48.

 

Gold Deep Sea Diver Medallion

 

Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Cape Hatteras, NC

 

49.

 

Large White T-shirt with Logo

 

Farnsworth Aerospace Elementary, St. Paul, MN

 

50.

 

Green Enamel Lapel Pin

 

Plast Ukrainian Youth Org, Minneapolis, MN

 

51.

 

Yellow and Maroon Swim Cap

 

Gannon University Swim Team, Erie, PA

 

52.

 

8x10" Wrestling Team Logo Picture

 

Temecula Valley Wrestling Team, CA

 

53.

 

4x6x10.5" Blue and Yellow Flag on Wood Pole

 

St. Constantine Ukrainian Catholic School, Minneapolis, MN

 

54.

 

White and Red Placard with Logo

 

Belle Vista Middle School, Temecula, CA

 

55.

 

White and Yellow Patch

 

Temecula Valley High School, Temecula, CA

 

56.

 

8x12" White and Blue School Pennant

 

Trinity Valley School, Ft. Worth, TX

 

57.

 

Squadron Patch

 

92th Assault Helicopter Company, Atlanta, GA

 

58.

 

Silver Medallion

 

Army Aviation Association of America, West Port, CT

 

59.

 

Large White and Black Baseball Jersey

 

U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY

 

60.

 

Medium White and Red Baseball Jersey

 

Atlanta Braves, Atlanta, GA

 

61.

 

12x18" U.S. Flag

 

Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, AL

 

62.

 

Medium Blue Football Jersey

 

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

 

63.

 

Gold and Black Medallion

 

Army Athletic Association, West Point, NY

 

64.

 

Small Black T-shirt with Logo

 

One Organization, New York, NY

 

65.

 

22x30" White Flag with Black Lettering

 

Bartlett Public Library District, Bartlett, IL

 

66.

 

Copper Medallion on White Ribbon

 

Belleville Science Academy, Belleville, IL

 

67.

 

Expedition 18 Silver Medallion

 

National Undersea Research Center, Key Largo, FL

 

68.

 

8.5x11" Photograph

 

Westside Veterinary Hospital, Pearland, TX

 

69.

 

White, Red and Green Patch

 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Canyon, TX

 

70.

 

White Gold Medallion

 

Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, IL

 

71.

 

Silver U.S. Air Force Military Astronaut Wings

 

Agency Presentation

 

72.

 

Gold U.S. Navy Military Astronaut Wings

 

Agency Presentation

 

73.

 

Gold U.S. Navy Military Astronaut Wings

 

Agency Presentation

 

74.

 

Silver and Gold U.S. Army Military Astronaut Wings

 

Agency Presentation

 

75.

 

Gold Astronaut Pin

 

Agency Presentation

 

76.

 

Gold Astronaut Pin

 

Agency Presentation

 

77.

 

Gold Astronaut Pin

 

Agency Presentation

 

78.

 

Gold Astronaut Pin

 

Agency Presentation

 

79.

 

100 Metal Shuttle Tokens

 

Space Center Houston Items

 

80.

 

14" Conductor's Baton

 

Agency Presentation

 

Items 81 through 101 are manifested at the request of the Space Shuttle Program Office and Payload Customers.

 

81.

 

965 Small United States Flags

 

Marshall Space Flight Center Presentation

 

82.

 

300 Sheets of SSP Bookmarks

 

Space Shuttle Program Presentation

 

83.

 

25 ULF2 Mission Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

84.

 

10 Crew Quarters Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

85.

 

15 Regen ECLS Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

86.

 

10 Waste and Hygiene Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

87.

 

10 Galley Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

88.

 

10 TOCA Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

89.

 

10 ARED Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

90.

 

10 REFH Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

91.

 

10 GLACIER Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

92.

 

10 GLACIER Flags

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

93.

 

10 FCF Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

94.

 

10 MSG Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

95.

 

10 EXPRESS Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

96.

 

10 Utilization Office Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

97.

 

10 CIR Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

98.

 

20 MPLM Sustaining Engineering Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

99.

 

10 Italian Space Agency ASI Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

100.

 

10 IJ Mission Patches

 

ISS ULF2 Presentation

 

101.

 

10 STP Patches

 

ISS ULF2/DoD Presentation


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