Space Station Looks Gorgeous in New Photos Taken by ESA Astronaut During Crew Dragon FlyAround Departure

Space Station Looks Gorgeous in New Photos Taken by ESA Astronaut During Crew Dragon Fly Around Departure
The International Space Station (ISS) is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 and concluding the Crew-2 mission. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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!

The International Space Station (ISS) is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 and concluding the Crew-2 mission. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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 International Space Station (ISS) is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 and concluding the Crew-2 mission. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

“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.

It’s been a decade since we’ve seen anything like this – since the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle orbiters in 2011.

“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.”

The International Space Station (ISS) is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 and concluding the Crew-2 mission. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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.”

The International Space Station (ISS) is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround of the orbiting lab that took place following its undocking from the Harmony module’s space-facing port on Nov. 8, 2021 and concluding the Crew-2 mission. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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.

 

ISS pictured from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround departure of the orbiting lab after undocking from Harmony module on Nov. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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).

ISS pictured from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround departure of the orbiting lab after undocking from Harmony module on Nov. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

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.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft with four Crew-2 mission astronauts on board descends on four main parachutes to a safe splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico at night on Nov. 8, 2021 after spending six months aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

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.

UpClose view of scorched SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft sailing into Port Canaveral, Florida on deck of GO Navigator recovery ship on Nov. 13, 2021 – which hoisted it from the Gulf of Mexico waters near Pensacola after safe splashdown of NASA Crew-2 mission and four astronauts on Nov. 8, 2021 upon returning to Earth from six month stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Notice human for scale, outline of slanted nose cone top and abort thrusters bottom. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com

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.

Recovery crew waves as scorched SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft sails into Port Canaveral, Florida on deck of GO Navigator recovery ship on Nov. 13, 2021 – which hoisted it from the Gulf of Mexico waters after safe splashdown of NASA Crew-2 mission and four astronauts on Nov. 8, 2021 upon returning to Earth from six month stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Notice human for scale, outline of slanted nose cone top and abort thrusters bottom. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/SpaceUpClose.com

 

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.

Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

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.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events

Please consider supporting Ken’s work by purchasing his photos and/or donating at Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/kenkremer

ISS pictured from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround departure of the orbiting lab after undocking from Harmony module on Nov. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

 

ISS pictured from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround departure of the orbiting lab after undocking from Harmony module on Nov. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet

 

ISS pictured from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during a flyaround departure of the orbiting lab after undocking from Harmony module on Nov. 8, 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/Thomas Pesquet
NASA SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), left, Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency), and Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough of NASA participate in the Space Olympics onboard the International Space Station. Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet

 

x

Ken Kremer

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news. 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. Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.