On Election Day, the astronauts showcased their patriotic spirit by posting a photo on Instagram, proudly displaying their colorful socks. Two of those socks sported the message “Proud to be American,” a fitting tribute to their participation in the democratic process from orbit.
These spacefarers are part of a larger wave of over 1.2 million early voters in Harris County, Texas.
Voting from space is a fascinating process: astronauts transmit their ballots back to Earth using the same technology that facilitates communication between the space station and mission control. This is accomplished through NASA’s Near Space Network, a constellation of satellites that relay information to ground-based antennas.
“It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens and I’m looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Williams expressed during a news conference held from the space station on September 13.
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First Published: Nov 6, 2024 12:26 AM IST