When the Steelers were founded in 1933, mankind had not yet been to outer space, and wouldn’t get there for another 28 years.
Who could have predicted, then, that Pittsburgh would one day become the Milky Way’s team?
On Thursday night—10 days before the Steelers’ season opener against the 49ers—NASA engineer and astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg tweeted a tribute to his favorite team from the International Space Station.
“If you’re wondering whether this yinzer brought a Terrible Towel to space, the answer is yes,” Hoburg tweeted to his 16,000 followers. “Go Steelers!”
Hoburg is a Pittsburgh native and a graduate of North Allegheny Senior High School in nearby Wexford.
If you’re wondering whether this yinzer brought a Terrible Towel to space, the answer is yes. Go @Steelers! pic.twitter.com/XdSzd2Jer2
— Woody Hoburg (@Astro_Woody) September 1, 2023
The 37-year-old MIT and University of California-Berkeley product launched into space aboard SpaceX Crew-6 on March 2.
Hoburg joins a long line of astronauts to bring sports allegiances and interest in sports into space. For instance, the crew of Apollo 11 was fed MLB scores from Mission Control shortly before landing on the Moon in 1969.
