For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – The International Space Station (ISS) looks absolutely gorgeous in 10 stunning new images dramatically backdropped by Earth and the blackness of space and taken by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a fly around maneuver after undocking from the orbiting outpost for the return trip home in early November to conclude the Crew-2 mission. See all 10 here!
The ISS shines in all its glory in the spectacular series of 10 images newly released by NASA.
Enjoy all 10 new International Space Station images from the 360 degree flyaround published here!
ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured the images from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting microgravity research laboratory that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 – and concluded the NASA ESA JAXA SpaceX Crew-2 mission after over 199 days in space.
Russia’s new Nauka science module that arrived over the summer is also visible – in addition to all the existing Russian, America, European, Japanese and Canadian modules, robot arms, science experiments and more.
“The station is pictured from the @SpaceX #CrewDragon Endeavour during a flyaround following its undocking on Nov. 8, 2021. More pix… flic.kr/s/aHsmXbqQLs,”, the NASA ISS feed tweeted.
The station is pictured from the @SpaceX #CrewDragon Endeavour during a flyaround following its undocking on Nov. 8, 2021. More pix… https://t.co/2LPTJBM4F0 pic.twitter.com/rlg8qpSuTd
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 30, 2021
It’s been a decade since we’ve seen anything like this – since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle orbiters in 2011.
The station program released new photos of the orbiting lab today as two @NASA_Astronauts get ready for a spacewalk on Tuesday. https://t.co/LDIMgiDFM3
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) November 29, 2021
“New images show the International Space Station in all its glory,” NASA wrote in an update Nov. 29.
“In early November, Crew-2 astronaut Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency photographed the orbiting laboratory, which is about the size of a football field, during the return trip home aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour. It was the first space station flyaround of a U.S. spacecraft since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.”
Pesquet took the beautiful hi-res station photos as his Crew-2 mission crewmates NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, and JAXA astronaut Aki Hoshide “executed a fly around maneuver to take pictures of the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth after 199 days in space as part of Expeditions 65 and 66.”
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission was the second operational mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The NASA SpaceX Crew-2 mission finally came to an end after some 200 days in orbit for the team of four multinational astronauts from the US, France and Japan when Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida nearby Pensacola, Monday evening, Nov. 8, at about 10:33 p.m. ET (0333 GMT on Nov. 9).
The photos were taken before the arrival of Crew-3 which was delayed several times but did eventually launch and dock safely to replace Crew-2.
They were also taken before the dangerous and reckless Russian ASAT test on Nov. 14 that put the lives of the 7 member station crew at risk including two Russian cosmonauts – and thus will offer up a great comparison of before and after to look for potential space debris impacts as a result of the missile test.
Scorched like a toasty marshmallow after surviving the scorching heats of reentry into Earth’s atmosphere upon departing the International Space Station (ISS) and safely splashing down in the Gulf Of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida, on Nov. 8 on the Crew-2 mission – the recovered SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour sailed triumphantly into Port Canaveral, arriving Saturday morning, Nov. 13, aboard the recovery ship that hoisted the spaceship from the sunshine states west coast waters and then journeyed all the way around the peninsula back to home port on the east coast during the week over some 4.5 days.
The orange and black striped toasted marshmallow looking colored Crew-2 Crew Dragon Endeavour arrived at the mouth of Port Canaveral atop the Go Navigator recovery vessel at about 8:15 a.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 13 sailing due east past Jetty Park Pier after traveling north up Florida’s Atlantic coast following a voyage past the Keys and Miami.
Watch Ken’s continuing reports about the International Space Station, SpaceX Crew and Cargo Dragons, Artemis, SLS, Orion and NASA missions, Lucy Asteroid mission, Blue Origin and Space Tourism, SpaceX Starlink, Commercial Crew and Starliner and Crew Dragon and onsite for live reporting of upcoming and recent SpaceX and ULA launches including Crew 1 & 2 & 3, ISS, Solar Orbiter, Mars 2020 Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, NRO spysats and national security missions and more at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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