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Last week, Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket for the first time. Exciting images of the 98-meter-tall rocket ascending into the sky quickly spread across news platforms and social media.
Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured the launch from aboard the International Space Station (ISS), located about 250 miles above Earth. The result is a stunning rocket-launch photograph like no other:
In a post on X, Pettit, who joined the ISS crew in September, explained that this unique image was captured over a span of four minutes. This extended exposure is why star trails are prominently featured in the photograph. The New Glenn rocket can be seen as a delicate streak crossing the frame diagonally.
“This was not an easy photograph to take,” Pettit noted, mentioning that the space station was positioned over Oklahoma when the exposure began and over the central Gulf of Mexico upon its conclusion.
Pettit has established himself as an accomplished photographer during his four missions in space over the past two decades. Known for his captivating images featuring star trails, he has now achieved the remarkable feat of capturing a rocket launch within one of those shots.
Among other notable pictures from his current mission are a breathtaking view of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and a mesmerizing image of the aurora dancing above the planet.
Always on the lookout for breathtaking visuals, he also shared a striking photo of waterways, which he eloquently described as “flowing silver snakes.”
Recently, Pettit took the opportunity to discuss his photography during an interview conducted from the space station.
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