Excitement over the start of the 2024 Olympics has united people around the world — and in outer space.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station joined in on the global celebration by hosting their own zero-gravity version of the Games, according to a video shared by NASA on X.
In the short video, six astronauts are seen reenacting their favorite Olympic sports in space. They also highlight the inspiring message behind the Games.
“Athletes from across the world are gathering today to kick off the 2024 Olympics — pushing boundaries and inspiring generations,” the X post read.
The video begins with a view of the space station floating in space with Earth in the background. The astronauts then recreated the Olympics’ symbolic passing of the torch.
Each of the astronauts showcased their talents by participating in a variety of sports such as shot-put, pommel horse and even deadlifting two fellow astronauts — all performed without the hindrance of Earth’s gravity.
The playful nature of the video concluded with a heartfelt message delivered by astronaut Matthew Dominick.
“Over the past few days on the International Space Station, we’ve had an absolute blast pretending to be Olympic athletes,” Dominick said alongside his fellow astronauts.
“We, of course, have had the benefits of weightlessness,” he continued. “We can’t imagine how hard this must be to be such a world-class athlete doing your sports under actual gravity. So from all of us aboard the International Space Station to every single athlete in the Olympic Games, godspeed!”
His cry of “godspeed” was echoed by the rest of the astronauts.