WASHINGTON: For decades, the Canadian and American defence agency NORAD has provided updates on Santa Claus’s international gift delivery route, but this year, for the first time, US astronauts lent a hand.

“We have obtained visual confirmation that Santa is currently travelling south over India,” Andrew Morgan said via a video link as he floated at zero gravity in the International Space Station (ISS).

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said that the ISS was traveling at 17,000 miles (27,000 kilometres) an hour, 250 miles above Earth — providing “a great vantage point to spot Santa on his annual journey around the world.” “NORAD appreciates the support of Colonel Morgan and the ISS team,” it added.

The agency reported that Santa and his reindeer were near Managua, Nicaragua at 0505 GMT on Wednesday and had delivered more than 5.7 billion gifts after hours of giving. They took off from the North Pole at 0930 GMT on Tuesday.

NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 when a girl dialed a misprinted phone number from a department store advertisement in the local newspaper, believing she was calling Santa.

The number rang into the Air Defence Command Operation Centre, where an officer was quick to realise the mistake and assured her he was Santa.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019