American astronauts vote for president from space

The only American astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) voted early and said it would be happy to welcome the new president no matter who the election was.

Shane Kimbrough, the only American astronaut in space, voted for the US presidential election from the ISS, the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) announced yesterday. Kimbrough flew to the space station on Earth orbit in mid-October, according to Business Insider.

Astronaut Shane Kimbrough voted US presidential election on the ISS station.(Photo: NASA).

Before departing for a 4-month mission, Kimbrough shared this mission with a special meaning because he would fulfill his civic duties from the universe.

When Kimbrough returned to Earth in February, the United States would have a new president. According to Kimbrough, astronauts are quite indifferent to politics."I will be happy to welcome the new president, whoever it is , " Kimbrough said.

Earlier, astronaut Kate Rubins had just landed a week ago, also cast a presidential vote on ISS in case the return flight was delayed.

In 1997, the Texas state government, where NASA was based, passed a law that allowed astronauts to vote in space. The electronic ballot is sent to astronauts by the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas and the results are sent to the vote-counting staff by email.

Kimbrough works on the ISS with two Russian astronauts. Next weekend, the three-person crew of US, Russian and French nationals will fly to ISS.