Houston, Texas – NASA astronaut Captain Elena Vargas, 38, a veteran of two previous space missions, radioed mission control yesterday requesting an immediate return to Earth after realizing she forgot to download her binge-watch list before launch.
The incident occurred during the ongoing Artemis III preparation phase, where Vargas was stationed aboard the International Space Station for a routine systems check last week. Sources say the oversight hit her midway through a quiet shift, prompting an urgent comms burst that caught ground teams off guard. “I mean, I packed extra protein bars and even my lucky socks, but Netflix? That’s the real mission-critical fail,” Vargas quipped over the frequency, her voice crackling with equal parts frustration and laughter. NASA officials confirmed the request was logged but downplayed it as a momentary lapse in an otherwise flawless operation.
Mission director Dr. Raj Patel, 52, who has overseen dozens of launches, responded with a mix of sympathy and sarcasm during a press briefing. “We’ve got zero-gravity toilets that cost millions, but apparently, Elena’s the first to weaponize FOMO against orbital mechanics,” Patel said, chuckling. “She’s got access to our onboard library of educational docs—think quantum physics marathons—but no, she’d rather debate plot twists in ‘The Crown’ with her cat back home.” Crew psychologists are reportedly uploading comedy specials as a stopgap, while Vargas has taken to sketching fan theories on her tablet to pass the time.
In the end, NASA plans to extend Vargas’s stay by just a few days to complete diagnostics, with a resupply capsule delivering a hard drive packed with her requested shows arriving next week. The agency is now considering mandatory “entertainment audits” for future crews, turning what could have been a PR headache into a lighthearted reminder that even spacefarers need their downtime fixes.