NASA Astronaut Marks 300 Days in Space with Crew Milestone Celebration on ISS

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir shared photos on social media of a dessert made aboard the International Space Station to mark her 300th day in space along with the 100th day in space for two fellow crew members. Meir posted that Russian cosmonauts created the item, which she called a "space cake," to recognize the three milestones.

She said making the cake was "an art, requiring creativity and resourcefulness" because baking supplies on the station are limited.

The cake also honored NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway and French astronaut Sophie Adenot, both on their first spaceflights, each reaching 100 days in orbit. Meir made her first trip to space in 2020. The dessert appeared to resemble a giant Rice Krispies treat, though Meir did not share details on ingredients or preparation methods.

The USA TODAY Network left a message with NASA on June 1 seeking more information. Seven astronauts from Expedition 74 are currently aboard the station. They include the four members of the Crew-12 mission that docked in mid-February: Meir, Hathaway, Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

That group is scheduled to depart in September after Crew-13 arrives. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who reached the station at the end of November aboard Soyuz MS-28, will stay until replacements arrive in July. The International Space Station has operated in low-Earth orbit for more than 25 years at an altitude of about 260 miles.

More than 290 spacefarers from 26 countries have visited the outpost, including 170 from the United States, according to NASA.