Axiom Space’s third private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) was supposed to last two weeks, but the European crew stayed on for extra days, waiting for the weather to improve off the coast of Daytona, Florida.
After disconnecting from the space outpost last week, the Ax-3 crew members — Walter Villadei, Alper Geseravci and Marcus Vandt, along with astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria — are supposed to head home by the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is due to land on Friday morning.
During his additional time on the ISS, Vandt, noted for his excellent photographic skills, shared his latest series of breathtaking photos of the Earth, taken from an altitude of approximately 400 km above the Earth’s surface.
Something in the things she shows me… 🎶#Muninn #Earth #NoFilter pic.twitter.com/jXwh3wnUCO
— Marcus Wandt (@astro_marcus) February 8, 2024
Wandt does not disclose what model of camera he used. However, it is known that the ISS has a wide collection of professional photographic equipment that is used by visitors. In fact, NASA is updating the ISS’s photography equipment, replacing old DSLRs with Nikon Z9 mirrorless cameras that were delivered last month.
During breaks from scientific research, astronauts often visit the Cupola module, a module with seven portholes that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Earth and its surroundings. It is an ideal place to take pictures of our planet.
Space waltz.
— Marcus Wandt (@astro_marcus) February 11, 2024
The training prepared me for most of my tasks during the #Muninn mission on the @Space_Station.
But one thing that is difficult to train for is the feeling of microgravity, or how much I have to push myself to get my body translating into the velocity I want, or… pic.twitter.com/bqoeiK9bF6
Given that the station orbits the Earth approximately 16 times in 24 hours, the landscape is constantly changing, providing unique opportunities for observations with Cupola.
Earlier we showed the flight of the Crew Dragon Axiom-3 over the Himalayas.
