Pope Francis connected with astronauts aboard the International Space Station Oct. 26. It was a “wish upon a star” that came true for Catholic astronaut Mark Vande Hei, a native of Falls Church, Virginia, according to a related Catholic News Service article.
Occasional calls with celebrities keep the spirits high of the astronauts on mission. Vande Hei requested the papal call.
Highlights from related story
It was a 20-minute link-up in which Pope Francis asked five questions… one astronaut has an olive branch on board he received from Pope Francis
The astronauts are Catholic (3), Russian Orthodox (2) and Baptist (1)… one astronaut’s father built Sputnik
Unity among diversity is key, one astronaut said… with Pope Francis likening them to a tiny United Nations
One perk in space is the daily opportunity to see “God’s creation maybe a little bit from his perspective”
Pope Benedict XVI spoke with 12 astronauts in 2011… including one who is on board today
Consider also reading, “For Catholic astronauts, flying to space doesn’t mean giving up faith”
And perhaps consider listening to “Houston, We Have a Podcast.” The Oct. 13 episode discusses astronaut photography and was also livestreamed on Facebook. Transcript is included for the hearing impaired.
Want to learn about photography on @Space_Station from @NASA_Astronauts in space right now? Watch live at 1:10pm ET: https://t.co/2qtFOjwtkB pic.twitter.com/F9gwR5bvVO
— NASA (@NASA) October 13, 2017
