Iranian-American Astronaut Marks Nowruz After First Space Mission

Iranian-American astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli celebrated Nowruz by sharing a photo of the Haftsin table she took to space on her first mission to the space station last year.

She said in an Instagram post, "I brought a Haftseen with me to @iss thinking I might be there for Nowruz. It would have been unique to celebrate the Persian New Year in space, but I am also very happy to be back home in time to celebrate with my family!"

Moghbeli led a crew that launched beyond the atmosphere on a Space-X rocket on August 23, 2023, after NASA had scrubbed launch plans a day earlier to resolve unspecified paperwork issues. 

The mission is Moghbeli's first trip into space – a dream come true for the US Marines helicopter pilot and 40-year-old mother of twins who always knew she wanted to be an astronaut.