HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere is celebrating the holidays with an out-of-this-world artifact: a Santa hat that flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-103 Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission in December 1999.
STS-103 holds a unique place in spaceflight history as the only one of NASA’s 135 Space Shuttle missions to take place during the Christmas holiday. To mark the occasion, the crew found small ways to bring holiday cheer with them into orbit, even as they prepared for one of the most important scientific servicing missions ever conducted.
The Santa hat now on display at the Cosmosphere was worn by astronaut John Grunsfeld during a brief holiday celebration on the Space Shuttle Discovery’s middeck. Grunsfeld and his fellow mission specialists then began their suit-up procedures to carry out a series of critical spacewalks to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. The mission included three spacewalks and the replacement of key components, a demanding task made even more remarkable by its timing during the holiday season.
Guests can view the space-flown Santa hat as part of the Cosmosphere’s 13 Days of Christmas Celebration, where it serves as a unique blend of space history and the holiday spirit.
For more information about current exhibits and holiday programming, visit the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, or explore upcoming events during this festive season at cosmo.org/upcoming-events.
