US Election: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit vote early from area

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, and Don Pettit cast their votes early for the governmental election, all while drifting in the microgravity of the International Space Station.

On Election Day, the astronauts showcased their patriotic spirit by publishing a picture on Instagram, happily showing their vibrant socks. Two of those socks sported the message “Proud to be American,” a fitting homage to their involvement in the democratic procedure from orbit.

These spacefarers are part of a bigger wave of over 1.2 million early citizens in Harris County, Texas.

Voting from area is a interesting procedure: astronauts send their tallies back to Earth utilizing the exactsame innovation that helpswith interaction inbetween the area station and objective control. This is achieved through NASA’s Near Space Network, a constellation of satellites that relay info to ground-based antennas.

“It’s a really essential responsibility that we have as people and I’m looking forward to being able to vote from area, which is quite cool,” Williams revealed throughout a news conference held from the area station on September 13.

Follow our live blogsite for real-time updates on the UnitedStates governmental election, from early ballot patterns to crucial results as they come in.