ISS Astronaut Captures Shuttle Landing from Cupola

By Nancy Atkinson - February 22, 2010 12:45 AM UTC | Space Exploration

ISS astronaut Soichi Noguchi has been sharing lots of amazing pictures he's taken in space via Twitter, but this one is extra special. Noguchi was able to capture the plasma trail produced by space shuttle Endeavour as it streaked through Earth's atmosphere. "Space Shuttle Endeavour making S-turn during atmospheric re-entry," Noguchi wrote on his Twitpic page, where he post his space photos from Twitter, @Astro_Soichi. "The first time it was photographed from Space Station Cupola. Priceless."

Just think of the precision it took to be able to take this image. Noguchi and the space station were flying about 354 km (220 miles) above Earth, going about 28,163 kph (17,500 mph), and the shuttle was likely flying just under Mach 25 -- the speed it is going as it enters Earth's atmosphere. Priceless indeed!

Q&A+ ▶ Our latest video — free on Patreon Will A Naked-Eye Moon Object End Conspiracy Theories? The extended edition: ad-free, with extra content. Free to watch — no account needed. ▶ Watch it free

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com