NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins Casts Ballot From Space

Washington, Oct 24 (VOANEWS) — With her work taking her away from home on Election Day, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins cast a unique early ballot Thursday, voting aboard the International Space Station (ISS), more than 200 miles above Earth.

From her NASA Astronauts Twitter account, Rubins posted a picture of herself smiling broadly and pointed to a hand-written sign saying, “ISS Voting Booth.”

Rubins is among several NASA astronauts who are registered in Texas, home of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Texas law allows them to vote from space using a secure electronic ballot, which is relayed to their respective county clerks by mission control.

Rubins, the first person to sequence DNA in space, is currently aboard the International Space Station for a six-month stay. She plans to work on cardiovascular experiment and conduct research using the space station’s Cold Atom Lab.

She’ll celebrate the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence on the space station and welcome members of the second SpaceX commercial crew mission, who are expected to arrive in late October.