Français
Español
English
Portuguese
She still found a way to celebrate the holiday even while in space.
By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli plans to celebrate in space the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which begins Thursday night, with a menorah made out of felt and a dreidel that she took aboard the spacecraft.
NASA and the International Space Station (ISS) do not allow the use of fire on its spacecraft, preventing Moghbeli from participating in the traditional lighting of a menorah on Hanukkah, but she found a way to still celebrate the holiday.
“My husband and little girls helped make a felt menorah, with lights for each night, that I can pin on to celebrate with them. So I’m excited to do that,” the New York native said during a press conference in July, adding that she will also have a dreidel with her during her space mission.
Moghbeli is the second Iranian-American in space after Anousheh Ansari. Her family celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas. She is part of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission, which includes Danish European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov from Russia’s space agency Roscosmos. The crew launched on Aug. 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This is Moghbeli’s first trip into space after being selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. The helicopter and Marine Corps test pilot is mission commander for SpaceX’s Crew-7 — making her responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry — and she will serve as a flight engineer aboard the space station.
Israel at War with Hamas. Support Israel Today!
The people of Israel need your help at this most critical time. Please make a donation to help protect and defend Israelis against unprecedented Hamas terror.
Rockets are falling. Sirens blare, with seconds to run for cover. IDF soldiers risk their lives battling terrorists inside Gaza. Thousands forced to abandon their homes in southern Israel.
To fight terror and save lives, UWI provides bomb shelters, anti-terror vehicles, protective gear, security equipment, medical assistance, relief to victims and much more. Help Israel fight and win this war against Hamas. The time to act is now!
