/sci/ - Science & Math

'Twas the night before Spacemas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stocks were sold short by the broker with care,
In hopes that Elon shitposts soon would be there;

The anons were nestled all snug in their threads,
While visions of plasma drives danced in their heads;
And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's ap,

When out in the VAB there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of space-walks to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But an old CSM, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old pilot, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than Raptor-based rockets they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, ARMSTRONG! now, LOVELL! now, COLLINS and ALDRIN!
On, COMET! on SHEPHERD! on, VON BRAUN and MITCHELL!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up into orbit the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed in red spacesuit, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;