Space Station Commander Honors US Military for Veteran's Day

NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, commander of the Expedition 29 crew on the International Space Station, offers a video tribute to armed servicemen and women for U.S. Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, 2011.
NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, commander of the Expedition 29 crew on the International Space Station, offers a video tribute to armed servicemen and women for U.S. Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, 2011. (Image credit: NASA TV)

The American in charge of the International Space Station has sent U.S. veterans a video tribute to honor their military service and sacrifices for Veteran's Day today (Nov.  11).

NASA astronaut Mike Fossum, a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, said astronauts on the space station share much in common with American military personnel.

"Much like our brave servicemen and women serving across the globe, we're far from home, from family and friends, conducting a very important mission in a hostile environment," Fossum said. Space station astronauts, like military veterans, work for the good of humankind while cooperating with international partners, he added.

Fossum is the commander of the space station's three-man Expedition 29 crew. An astronaut from Japan and a Russian cosmonaut round out the team. The trio will return later this month after handing  control of the station over to a new crew, which launches toward the orbiting lab on Sunday (Nov. 13).

"On behalf of our entire crew and a grateful America, we'd like to pay tribute to the thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines for your service across the globe in support of the cause of freedom," Fossum said. "Only through your defense of our great nation can we accomplish our worthy goals."

Fossum added that from his vantage point 230 miles up, the Earth is a spectacular sight.

"Our home planet is beautiful and breathtaking, with no borders visible to the naked eye. As we pause to remember those who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom, and those who defend that freedom everyday," he said. "We honor you, and we thank you." [10 Views of Earth From Space]

NASA chief Charles Bolden, a former space shuttle commander, said the space agency and American military have a long legacy of cooperation.

John Young, astronaut and Navy veteran, salutes the U.S. flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, jumps up from the lunar surface as astronaut and Air Force veteran, Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this picture. (Image credit: NASA, Charles M. Duke Jr.)

 

"NASA's connection to the military dates to the agency's founding, when so many of our early astronauts emerged from the military. Today, many of our NASA colleagues are still current or former members of the military," said Bolden, who is a retired Marine Corps major general, in a video message to agency workers. "Some of them have lost their lives in the cause of space exploration. And many others with NASA connections have also lost their lives in service to our great country."

Bolden said military veterans are not the only ones who make sacrifices for the good of the country. The family and friends of loved ones also demonstrate courage and dedication, he added. Bolden also lauded the Joining Forces Initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to support veteran families.

"Even in peacetime, our veterans deserve our gratitude for their service and our welcome when they return home," Bolden said.

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.