Christmas on ISS

Two fir trees, gifts from the Earth, a table with festive meals and numerous communication sessions with relatives will brighten the ISS crew's life.

American of British origin Michael Foale and Russian Alexander Kaleri are having a day off due to the holiday, NASA public relations coordinator Sergei Puzanov told RIA Novosti.

Regrettably, it is impossible to take a goose to the ISS, it's too big, Puzanov said. Dehydrated turkey or a hen served up with some sauce will replace it, the NASA coordinator pointed out.

"The Russian Progress space cargo ship delivered the packed gifts, including two small artificial fir trees, to the International Space Station beforehand," Puzanov added.

Foale's and Kaleri's relatives and friends will congratulate them both through the communication satellites and by e-mail. According to Puzanov, by connecting a video camera to the notebook, the crew members will be able to transmit "a live picture" from the ISS board directly to their relatives' computer," he said.

In addition, Foale and Kaleri can chat with numerous radio fans on the Earth. "The modernisation of the station of the radio fans' rangeb carried out by the crew members has made it possible," Puzanov concluded.