The grand celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence reached even cosmic heights. Astronauts aboard the ISS had a unique opportunity to watch the festivities from above. During a flyover of Los Angeles on July 4, the crew of the orbital laboratory captured hundreds of bright fireworks simultaneously illuminating the night city.
The International Space Station orbited over Los Angeles on July 4th as America marked 250 years of independence with a burst of fireworks lighting up the city below — a celebration so bright it reached all the way to space! pic.twitter.com/SMCXTFYRjD
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 6, 2026
NASA representatives posted a 15-second video on the social network X, filmed directly from aboard the station. The footage shows the nighttime metropolis pulsing with countless tiny lights. The flashes of holiday fireworks are so dynamic and large-scale that they resemble thousands of camera flashes at a concert or stadium, creating a unique spectacle visible from the depths of space.
The seven members of the current Expedition 74 crew witnessed this unique light performance. Although the holiday is distinctly American, an entire international team observed it from orbit.
Among those celebrating the anniversary in space were three American NASA astronauts: Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir, and Chris Williams, who serve as flight engineers. Along with them, the beauty of the night Earth was shared by European Space Agency representative Sophie Adenot, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts.
Anniversary Insignia in Space Missions
NASA prepared for the country’s 250th anniversary on a scale that went far beyond simple observations from the ISS. Anniversary symbols were integrated into today’s most important space projects.
In particular, large festive America 250 logos decorated the body of the super-heavy Space Launch System rocket, which in April of this year successfully sent the astronauts of the historic Artemis II mission on a journey around the Moon. Members of this lunar crew also received special commemorative patches on their spacesuits. In addition, NASA supported the anniversary celebrations on Earth as well, organizing a series of spectacular aviation demonstration flights over Washington, which will continue over the coming months.
Earlier, we explained whether Independence Day could happen in reality.
According to Space
