Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket for the first time last week, capturing the attention of news sites and social media platforms with breathtaking images of the 98-meter-tall rocket soaring into the sky.
Adding to the extraordinary visual spectacle, NASA astronaut Don Pettit managed to capture the launch from the International Space Station (ISS) located approximately 250 miles above Earth. The resulting long exposure photograph offers a unique perspective of the rocket’s journey:
Don Pettit / NASA
Sharing the image on X, Pettit, who has been aboard the ISS since September, revealed that the photograph was taken over a four-minute period, resulting in the mesmerizing star trails that dominate the frame. With Earth positioned at the bottom, the New Glenn rocket is depicted as a subtle streak traversing the image from the bottom right to the upper left.
Describing the challenging process of capturing the image, Pettit mentioned that the space station was initially positioned over Oklahoma and later over the central Gulf of Mexico during the exposure.
Pettit, renowned for his exceptional photography skills across four space missions spanning decades, has a penchant for capturing images featuring star trails. However, this particular photograph marks the first instance of incorporating a rocket launch into his unique visual repertoire.
Among the standout images from Pettit’s current ISS mission are snapshots showcasing a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft reentering Earth’s atmosphere and the vibrant glow of an aurora illuminating the skies.
Continuously seeking out awe-inspiring scenes, Pettit also managed to capture a striking image of waterways, which he poetically described as “flowing silver snakes.”
In a recent interview from the space station, Pettit delved into his passion for photography and the challenges of capturing stunning visuals in the unique environment of space.
