Observed on

October 31

Observed by

Crew Members of the Internation Space Station

Country of Origin 

No Country of Origin since it happens...OFF THE PLANET!?

Celebrations/Customs

Wearing of Costumes, Feasting on holiday related treats

Key Points / Halloween Connection

- Since 2000, crew members of the International Space Station have used their limited supplies to create costumes and small treats to celebrate the holiday

*Rink Fact: Halloween has conquered the planet, and now the universe is next!

Brief Bio

Although no ghouls or goblins or trick-or-treaters come knocking at the International Space Station’s front hatch, crew members aboard the orbiting facility still like to get in the Halloween spirit. Whether individually or as an entire crew, they dress up in sometimes spooky, sometimes scary, but always creative costumes, often designed from materials available aboard the space station.

The first International Space Station (ISS) crew was Expedition 1, which launched on October 31, 2000, and they celebrated Halloween aboard the ISS that same year. This crew consisted of NASA astronaut William (Bill) Shepherd and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko, who were the first residents to establish a continuous human presence on the station.

Crew members on the International Space Station continue to indulge in a bit of dressing up and candy consumption to mark the day, and the research they conduct year-round occasionally involves these iconic Halloween themes. No tricks, just treats.