USA (Commonwealth Union)_ As millions of Americans have cast their votes in the 2024 US elections, two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore, also inspired the world by exercising their civic duty in an entirely different scenario in space. Currently aboard the Boeing Starliner, both astronauts are on an extended mission that will see them orbiting Earth until February 2025, well beyond the election date. Despite the challenges posed by being off-planet, Williams and Wilmore participated in the US democratic process from their place in orbit, signalling a bold call for voting rights.
This is not the first time that NASA has enabled astronauts to vote while in space. In fact, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have been casting ballots in US elections for several years through a special voting system developed by NASA. The system ensures that American citizens, including military personnel and astronauts stationed outside the country, are able to fulfill their duty as voters regardless of their location, even in space.
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The history of voting from space
The tradition of voting from space began in 1997 when astronaut David Wolf became the first person to cast a vote from orbit. Since then, NASA has refined the process to ensure the secure and efficient transmission of astronauts’ ballots. The most recent astronaut to vote from space was Kate Rubins, who cast her absentee ballot in the 2020 presidential election while aboard the ISS. Williams and Wilmore are continuing this tradition, participating in a historic moment for both space exploration and American democracy.
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How NASA makes voting possible from space?
NASA’s system for space-based voting is similar to absentee voting but tailored for the unique environment of space. As part of the process, astronauts like Williams and Wilmore submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to request their absentee ballots. Typically, US citizens and military personnel living overseas use the FPCA, but astronauts in space also utilize it for the same purpose. When NASA requests absentee ballots, astronauts in space electronically complete the forms. To transmit these ballots, NASA relies on its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), a satellite network that facilitates communication between spacecraft and Earth. The system enables the transmission of completed ballots back to Earth over a distance of approximately 1.2 million miles.
The ballots are then received by a large antenna at NASA’s test facility in New Mexico, where they are forwarded to the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The Mission Control Center sends the ballots to the appropriate county clerk for processing. Only the astronaut and the election official have access to the encrypted ballots, ensuring the privacy of each astronaut’s vote. In an interview in September, Williams shared her excitement about voting from space, calling it pretty cool and a crucial duty as a citizen. Similarly, Wilmore expressed his enthusiasm, noting that NASA has made it a breeze for astronauts to participate in the election process. Despite being far from Earth on a mission never expected to last this long, both astronauts are eager to cast their votes.
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Starliner’s extended mission
Williams and Wilmore’s participation in the 2024 election comes under somewhat unusual circumstances. Initially, the plan was for both astronauts to return to Earth much earlier in the year, but issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft have significantly extended their mission. Originally scheduled to launch on May 6, the spacecraft experienced a series of technical delays. A faulty oxygen valve forced the first postponement, and a subsequent issue with computer hardware delayed the launch again. Once in orbit, additional problems arose with the Starliner’s thrusters, with five of them showing signs of damage. These complications have forced NASA to delay their return indefinitely. NASA now expects the two astronauts to remain in space until February 2025.
After several attempts to address the spacecraft’s issues, NASA decided to return the Starliner to Earth without its crew in early September. This led to a few weeks of uncertainty, with NASA working to find a solution. Eventually, SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission arrived at the ISS, and Williams and Wilmore officially became part of that crew, extending their time in space. Despite these setbacks, Williams and Wilmore are not alone in their commitment to voting. They join fellow astronauts Don Pettit and Nick Hague, who, like them, are participating in the election process from space. While Pettit and Hague likely filled out their FPCAs before departing for the ISS, Wilmore and Williams have already submitted their absentee ballots, ensuring they too have a say in the outcome of the 2024 elections.
The future of voting from space
As space exploration continues to evolve, NASA’s ability to facilitate voting for astronauts represents a significant achievement. It highlights the agency’s commitment to ensuring that American citizens, no matter where they are—whether on Earth or in orbit—can fulfill their democratic duties. With more long-term missions planned to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, the system that allows astronauts to vote from space may continue to be an important part of future election cycles. The unique circumstances of Williams and Wilmore’s extended mission offer a new perspective on how space exploration can intersect with civic participation, and their involvement in the 2024 elections further cements the idea that spacefaring Americans can remain connected to their home planet in many ways.
