Russian Astronauts Board ISS Wearing Surprising Outfits

For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine last month, a trio of Russian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station. But when the ISS hatch opened to let them in, their appearance raised some eyebrows, reports Space.com. Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev, and Sergey Korsakov blasted off in their Soyuz capsule from Kazakhstan Friday evening, arriving at the ISS a few hours later, and they emerged to greet the other astronauts on board while wearing bright yellow flight suits with blue accents—which also happen to be the two colors making up the Ukrainian flag. But was it a message of solidarity with the Ukrainian people or just a coincidence?

Some pointed out that the colors closely match those used at Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where all three cosmonauts had been students. Later on, Artemyev himself was asked about their fashion statement, and he explained the flight suits were designed with excess fabric, per the AP. "It became our turn to pick a color," he said. "But ... we had accumulated a lot of yellow material, so we needed to use it." Not everyone is buying that line, however. It's "difficult to believe it was happenstance," notes the New York Times, which points out astronaut attire is usually more "subdued." (More cosmonauts stories.)