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Space Station Astronauts In Star Wars-Themed Crew Pic

Something's definitely going on at NASA. We're thinking someone in the public relations department is trying to blow the dust off the space agency's ever-serious image.

First there was the photo below, deemed by almost anyone with a pulse as unquestionably the best astronaut portrait ever:

And now, the Expedition 45 crew, scheduled to go to the International Space Station in September, is having fun with Jedi robes and light sabers:

Collectspace.com says the shot is titled "International Space Station Expedition XLV: The Science Continues." The crew will make up the station's first year-long mission.

The website says: "The poster's theme and layout was reportedly the idea of [Kjell] Lindgren (bottom left in the photo), who will be making his first trip into space with this mission. NASA photographers and graphic artists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston brought the poster together, digitally adding the lightsabers and background."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.