How Astronauts on The ISS Got a Visit from Santa (thehill.com) 28
Since 1955 the U.S./Canadian operation that monitors North American airspace with radars and satellite to maintain air sovereignty has also, at Christmas time, been tracking Santa.
And this year their trackers received additional support from the U.S. Space Command, a joint-military command drawing its units from five military service branches (including the U.S. Space Force). That command "launched a new reindeer tracker to pinpoint the exact location of Santa's sleigh at any given time during the night," according to NPR's Morning Edition, with General James Dickinson telling them the equipment's official name: Rudolph Infrared Tracking System. "We made some upgrades this year."
And that was just the beginning, reports The Hill: Santa knows astronauts need presents, too, and made his first known visit to the International Space Station to deliver them this year.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which tracks Santa's Christmas Eve journey every year, depicted in a tweet Santa arriving at the International Space Station on Christmas Eve...
The Federal Aviation Administration cleared Santa for the flight to space on Wednesday, providing him "for the first time ever" with a special commercial space license.
The astronauts aboard the ISS recorded a special Christmas video this year. (And a new article in Business Insider expores how astronauts on the space station have celebrated Christmas over the years.)
And NORAD is even maintaining a special web site at NORADSanta.org which not only let visitors track Santa, but through December 31st will also offer an arcade with Christmas-themed videogames, a selection of music by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, and even a gift shop where you can buy "Santa and NORAD gear," including NORAD hoodies and tote bags.
Though a pop-up window warns visitors that "Clicking through to this next website does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the United States Department of Defense or NORAD of any product or service."
And this year their trackers received additional support from the U.S. Space Command, a joint-military command drawing its units from five military service branches (including the U.S. Space Force). That command "launched a new reindeer tracker to pinpoint the exact location of Santa's sleigh at any given time during the night," according to NPR's Morning Edition, with General James Dickinson telling them the equipment's official name: Rudolph Infrared Tracking System. "We made some upgrades this year."
And that was just the beginning, reports The Hill: Santa knows astronauts need presents, too, and made his first known visit to the International Space Station to deliver them this year.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which tracks Santa's Christmas Eve journey every year, depicted in a tweet Santa arriving at the International Space Station on Christmas Eve...
The Federal Aviation Administration cleared Santa for the flight to space on Wednesday, providing him "for the first time ever" with a special commercial space license.
The astronauts aboard the ISS recorded a special Christmas video this year. (And a new article in Business Insider expores how astronauts on the space station have celebrated Christmas over the years.)
And NORAD is even maintaining a special web site at NORADSanta.org which not only let visitors track Santa, but through December 31st will also offer an arcade with Christmas-themed videogames, a selection of music by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, and even a gift shop where you can buy "Santa and NORAD gear," including NORAD hoodies and tote bags.
Though a pop-up window warns visitors that "Clicking through to this next website does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the United States Department of Defense or NORAD of any product or service."
How does he catch that thing? (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
At 27,000 KPH, Rudolph must be snorting plutonium up that nose.
No, it's much simpler than that. They don't chase it; the elves calculate the upcoming ISS orbit so Santa's sleigh can meet it head-on.
Re: How does he catch that thing? (Score:3)
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Yeah, well, but where's the Holiday Armadillo?
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Given Santa's delivery schedule he has clearly mastered space and time. Catching ISS is child's play in comparison.
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Indirectly, this tech is a result of thinning Arctic ice. Although the main reason for that controversial Claus Industries move to Shanghai was ice cracks forming under the factory buildings and sleigh runway, improved access to today's technology was important both to toymaking and expansion of the Claus service area.
The secret has been revealed (Score:2)
Now we finally know what the "Guardians" are guardians of - it's Santa!
Stop spreading lies! (Score:1, Informative)
Re: Stop spreading lies! (Score:2)
Clicking through to this next website does not constitute an official endorsement RTFA
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But we keep it up, because adults find the gullibility of children cutely amusing.
Re: (Score:2)
Or we don't want them growing up to be unimaginative bores who whine about harmless fun for children.
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Your presumption that children would have no imagination because we stop lying to them is absurd in the extreme!
That sounds like a set up to a nice experiment. Let's take 5,000 kids from around the world in countries which have a tradition of believing in Santa Claus. From the earliest moment possible, the kids are told there is no Santa Claus, no Easter Bunny, etc. This will be reinforced over and over, that all these stories are just that, stories. None of the characters are real. Wait a decade or so and see how they turn out.
Re: (Score:2)
If you really want to stop lies to children, you would probably do better to halt all advertising aimed at anyone under 16 first.
Military propaganda for kids (Score:1)
Space Soldiers and Santa. Nice.
Your tax dollars at work, people (Score:2)
The US spacemen tracking Santa.
stories (lies) for children (Score:2)
should be left to children.
any adult spending time/energy on this - that is not directed to kids - are themselves, mentally challenged 'adults'.
someday in the future, we'll shed our superstitions. it will happen.
but for now, we are kept back by the infighting that is defined by the major religions.
santa? seriously? if you are older than 8 years old, its probably time to put away the lies your parents told you and grow the fuck up.
At least (Score:2)
He didn't bring covid with him [mirror.co.uk] on his visit.