US Elections 2024 : As millions of Americans head to polling booths to cast their votes in the 2024 US elections, four Americans currently in space will also be exercising their right to vote—albeit from outside the planet. NASA has implemented a system that allows astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) or other spacecraft to participate in elections, ensuring that no one is left behind, even those in orbit.
Among the astronauts eligible to vote this year are two members of Boeing’s Starliner program—Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The pair aboard the Starliner spacecraft are expected to remain in space until February, but their civic duty remains intact.
Williams, an Indian-origin astronaut, shared her excitement about voting from space during a September conference, revealing that she was initially supposed to return to Earth in time to vote in person but will now be casting her ballot from orbit.
“It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and I’m looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Williams said. Her colleague, Wilmore, echoed her sentiments, expressing his eagerness to take part in the democratic process. “It’s a very important role that we all play as citizens, to be included in those elections, and NASA makes it very easy for us to do that,” he stated.
How Astronauts Vote in Space
To ensure astronauts can vote while far from Earth, NASA has set up a process similar to absentee ballots, allowing astronauts to vote electronically from space.
The procedure involves astronauts filling out a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) to request an absentee ballot. Once they have the ballot, they can complete it electronically aboard their spacecraft.
The completed electronic ballot is then transmitted to NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, using a high-tech communication system.
The data travels through NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and is relayed to a large antenna at the agency’s test facility in New Mexico before being sent to Mission Control. From there, the vote is forwarded to the county clerk in the astronaut’s registered voting district for processing.
To ensure the privacy and security of the vote, the ballot is encrypted, and only the astronaut and the county clerk can access it. This system allows astronauts to cast their ballots without being physically present at their polling stations while maintaining the confidentiality of their votes.
David Wolf made history as the first person to vote in space in 1997, and more recently, astronaut Kate Rubins cast her vote from the International Space Station during the 2020 US elections.
With this innovative voting system, NASA ensures that even those exploring the final frontier can participate in shaping the future of their country.
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