Astronaut Sunita Williams cast her vote from space

Astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her colleagues Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague and Don Pettit, cast their votes for the U.S. election from the International Space Station.

On Tuesday, Hague shared an Instagram post showing the group in patriotic socks, writing, “It doesn’t matter if you are sitting, standing or floating — what matters is that you vote!”

This milestone in voting history began in 1997 when the Texas Legislature passed a law enabling astronauts to vote from space, with NASA astronaut David Wolf becoming the first to do so from Russia’s Mir Space Station. The process involves astronauts completing a Federal Post Card Application for absentee voting. A secure, electronic ballot is then transmitted via NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System to the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Texas, ensuring a seamless and private voting experience.

Retired NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao was the first U.S. citizen to vote for president from space.