ISS Hosts First Interstellar Badminton Game

The international space community has reached another milestone - in the form of the first ever interstellar badminton tournament held on February 6.

The sports spectacular was filmed as part of Russia Today’s ‘Space 360’ project showcasing life aboard the International Space Station in panoramic 3D video, Russia Today reported.

The 54th expedition crew played the groundbreaking tournament over a series of doubles matches, a feat which was equated to “putting a flag on Mars” by ISS commander Alexander Misurkin.

“The first team game was held outside Earth and, for me, it’s the same as putting a flag on Mars,” he said in the video published on Tuesday.  

In a battle for the ages, Russian cosmonauts Misurkin and Anton Shkaplerov squared off against American astronauts Joseph Acaba and Mark Wanda High, as well as Japan’s Norishige Kanai for the inaugural title of space badminton champion.

The spacemen have to tackle the lack of gravity as well as their ISS crewmates, striking the shuttlecock from all angles as their bodies drift in the weightless atmosphere. The team says the sport has been a great pastime on their days off and also cites the exercise and hand-eye coordination training as benefits of playing the game.