Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli captured a series of remarkable images of Earth during a six-month stay on the International Space Station.
An astronaut's view of Earth —
Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli captured a series of remarkable images of Earth during a six-month stay on the International Space Station.
Nespoli's second space mission during 2010/2011 yielded an incredible 26,000 images of life in space.
Italy —
Nespoli's second space mission during 2010/2011 yielded an incredible 26,000 images of life in space.
The 55-year-old Italian (seen here on the left) with fellow crew members, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA flight engineer, Cady Coleman.
Aboard the International Space Station —
The 55-year-old Italian (seen here on the left) with fellow crew members, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and NASA flight engineer, Cady Coleman.
Nespoli posted regular updates on Twitter. "I was amazed by the response from people. It was very fulfilling for me," he said.
Cuba —
Nespoli posted regular updates on Twitter. "I was amazed by the response from people. It was very fulfilling for me," he said.
"I was doing something which was very interesting for me, but it made me more happy that I could share the images," Nespoli said.
Toau, French Polynesia —
"I was doing something which was very interesting for me, but it made me more happy that I could share the images," Nespoli said.
The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at a height of around 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface and travels at 20,000 kilometers-per-hour.
Ice in northern Canada —
The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at a height of around 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface and travels at 20,000 kilometers-per-hour.
"I cannot say we are bad, or that we are causing the planet to go hot or cold. We don't have enough data. But it's clear that we are doing things that have a huge potential of making changes," Nespoli said.
Tibesti Mountains, Chad, Africa —
"I cannot say we are bad, or that we are causing the planet to go hot or cold. We don't have enough data. But it's clear that we are doing things that have a huge potential of making changes," Nespoli said.
"We need to understand more. It's a risky situation with a very delicate eco-system balance which can be dramatically skewed," he says.
Tibesti Mountains, Chad, Africa —
"We need to understand more. It's a risky situation with a very delicate eco-system balance which can be dramatically skewed," he says.
Snowcapped mountains in northern Italy —
Paolo Nespoli in the Cupola of the International Space Station. It has seven windows and provides a pressurized observation and work area for astronauts, according to the European Space Agency.
Nespoli in the ISS Cupola —
Paolo Nespoli in the Cupola of the International Space Station. It has seven windows and provides a pressurized observation and work area for astronauts, according to the European Space Agency.
The International Space Station weighs 360 tons and has more than 820 cubic meters of pressurised space according to the European Space Agency.
ISS —
The International Space Station weighs 360 tons and has more than 820 cubic meters of pressurised space according to the European Space Agency.
"A lot of the time you're up there you are working so you don't have a lot of time to look out of the window. When you do, most of the time you see oceans and clouds -- which is really nice," Nespoli said.
Docking at the ISS —
"A lot of the time you're up there you are working so you don't have a lot of time to look out of the window. When you do, most of the time you see oceans and clouds -- which is really nice," Nespoli said.
"The impact we are having on this planet is surely microscopic when we look at one single event, but when you look at it and you repeat these events all over - a few miles across here, a few miles across there, a river here, a river there, a city here, a city there -- and it's clear we are a major force in shaping the crust of this planet," Nespoli said.
London at night —
"The impact we are having on this planet is surely microscopic when we look at one single event, but when you look at it and you repeat these events all over - a few miles across here, a few miles across there, a river here, a river there, a city here, a city there -- and it's clear we are a major force in shaping the crust of this planet," Nespoli said.
"I would, for sure, send up the politicians (some of them we should leave there!) to change the way they think, but I would also send up philosophers, journalists and theologians," he said.
Aurora Borealis —
"I would, for sure, send up the politicians (some of them we should leave there!) to change the way they think, but I would also send up philosophers, journalists and theologians," he said.
"You see the atmosphere which covers the earth like a blanket. It looked like if I would blow on it too hard it would float away. We know if that get's corrupted in a certain way that's the end," Nespoli said.
Moonrise —
"You see the atmosphere which covers the earth like a blanket. It looked like if I would blow on it too hard it would float away. We know if that get's corrupted in a certain way that's the end," Nespoli said.