Samosas in space: Astronauts carry cultural items to ISS

(NewsNation) — Boeing’s Starliner successfully docked with the International Space Station on its first crewed test flight, delivering astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams for a week-long mission.

But the capsule carried more than just the two crew. Spacecraft headed to the ISS carry supplies, including things needed for scientific work as well as food for those already on board. Astronauts are also allowed to bring personal items, often reflecting things that are important to them.

Williams, the first woman to pilot a test flight of an orbital spacecraft, is an Indian American astronaut who has previously brought items celebrating her heritage on other missions. On previous missions, she’s said her essentials included a copy of sacred Hindu texts the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, an idol of the god Ganesh and samosas.

Other astronauts have brought significant personal items throughout history, ranging from religious items to pop culture. Buzz Aldrin traveled with communion wafers and wine on Apollo 11, while later astronauts brought personally meaningful items like dirt from Yankee Stadium and Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.

However, one of the biggest items astronauts pack is food, with fresh food in high demand due to the infrequent supply trips. Some other cultural contributions include sushi, macarons, satay and kimchee. Astronauts have even had pizza, freshly baked cookies and espresso in space.

Other items Williams brought on Starliner included dog tags made for her two labrador retrievers and colorful socks inspired by retired astronaut Shannon Lucid.