Because the US gears up for its November 5 presidential election, a unprecedented group of voters prepares to solid their ballots from an unconventional polling station – the Worldwide House Station (ISS).
Astronauts stationed a whole bunch of miles above Earth are absolutely eligible to take part within the US elections, making certain that even these orbiting the planet can train their proper to vote.
Aboard the ISS are Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. Since their mission was prolonged in June 2024 as a consequence of security protocols, they’ve introduced their intention to vote within the US elections from house. They are going to be caught in house till at the least February 2025.
Throughout a NASA press convention in September, Williams expressed her enthusiasm for voting from orbit, saying, “It is an important responsibility that we’ve as residents, and [I am] trying ahead to with the ability to vote from house, which is fairly cool.”
Wilmore added, “It is an important position that all of us play as residents, to be included in these elections, and NASA makes it very straightforward for us to try this. So we’re enthusiastic about that chance.”
This isn’t an remoted occasion. Astronauts have solid their poll from house since 1997, because of a Texas legislation. It was handed to help astronauts from Texas, the place NASA’s Johnson House Middle is situated, in staying concerned within the democratic course of whereas fulfilling their duties in house.
David Wolf was the primary to vote from the now-defunct Mir House Station in 1997. Since then, a number of astronauts have solid their ballots. Kate Rubins was the final astronaut to vote from the ISS throughout the 2020 US elections.
The voting course of for astronauts is streamlined and safe. After making use of for an absentee poll, the astronauts full their ballots electronically whereas aboard the ISS. NASA then encrypts the information and uploads it to an onboard laptop, transmitting it through the company’s Close to House Community.
This data is relayed by the Monitoring and Knowledge Relay Satellite tv for pc System (TDRSS) to NASA’s White Sands Check Facility in New Mexico, earlier than being forwarded to Mission Management in Houston. From there, the ballots are electronically despatched to the respective county clerk’s workplaces for official processing.
NASA emphasises the importance of this connection in a current weblog put up: “Astronauts forego most of the comforts afforded to these again on Earth as they embark on their journeys to house for the advantage of humanity. Although they’re removed from dwelling, NASA’s networks join them with their family and friends and provides them the chance to take part in democracy and society whereas in orbit.”
