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Moonrise in Parts
Credit: ESA/NASA
The rising moon over the limb of the Earth is shown in stages in this fabulous set of images snapped by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli on Jan. 19, 2011 from the International Space Station.
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Sunset Over Saudi Arabia
Credit: ESA/NASA
A serene sunset over Saudia Arabia on Jan. 16, 2011 as photographed by astronaut Paolo Nespoli on the International Space Station. The space station sees 16 sunsets and sunrises every day as it orbits Earth once every 90 minutes.
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Spacewalk Practice
Credit: ESA/NASA
Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Kondratyev and Oleg Skripochka preparing for their spacewalk. This image was taken on Jan. 18, 2011 by astronaut Paolo Nespoli on the International Space Station.
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Earth's Cloud Sculptures
Credit: ESA/NASA
Some amazing wispy clouds as seen on Jan. 16, 2011 from the International Space Station by astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
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Amazing Clouds from Space
Credit: ESA/NASA
Some amazing wispy clouds as seen on Jan. 16, 2011 from the International Space Station by astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
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Mountain Majesty
Credit: ESA/NASA
Snowcapped mountains of northern Italy as seen on Jan. 16, 2011 from the International Space Station by astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
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Quebec's Black Eye?
Credit: ESA/NASA
Lake Manicouagan and René-Levasseur Island in Quebec, Canada stand out in this Jan. 16, 2011 photo from astronaut Paolo Nespoli on the International Space Station. It was formed by a meteorite impact over 200 million years ago.
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Moon Overhead
Credit: ESA/NASA
The Earth and the moon as seen on Jan. 15, 2011 from the International Space Station by astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
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Contrails
Credit: ESA/NASA
"Aircraft contrails - evidence of life on planet Earth!" This photo was taken by astronaut Paolo Nespoli on Jan. 15, 2011 during the Expedition 26/26 mission to the International Space Station.
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A Little Off the Top, Please
Credit: ESA/NASA
" Thanks to Cady I had a haircut over the weekend!" says Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli on Jan. 15, 2011. Astronauts in space use electric clippers and a vacuum to cut hair and catch the trimmings to avoid a mess.
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Mt. Etna Volcano Awakens
Credit: ESA/NASA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "It was sleeping under the blanket, and now the giant is awakened! Sicily and Mount Etna, seen from ISS,14 Jan 11, 09:40 CET."
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Montana's Mountains
Credit: ESA/NASA
Mountain range in Montana, USA, as seen by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli on Jan. 12, 2011.
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Canada Ice
Credit: ESA/NASA
The icy landscape of northern Canada takes center stage in this Jan. 11, 2011 image taken by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli.
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Caribbean Spaceship
Credit: ESA/NASA
Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli photographs a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with a Caribbean island as the backdrop in this photo from the International Space Station on Jan. 8, 2011.
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Lightning from Space
Credit: ESA/NASA
Lightning as seen from space, somewhere over Brazil. I estimate the diameter to be at least 80 kilometres! says Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Photo taken Jan. 9, 2011.
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Eerie Aurora
Credit: NASA/ESA
"Aurora Borealis. Surreal!" says Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Photo taken Dec. 28, 2010.
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Houston, We Don't Have a Problem
Credit: NASA/ESA
Houston, Texas, home to NASA's Johnson Space Center and International Space Station Mission Control as seen from space.
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Space Clothes
Credit: NASA/ESA
"Preparing the spacewalk suits. We never know!" says Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Taken Jan. 5, 2011.
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Even Astronauts Need Time Off
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "A place I'd like to go on vacation. Where is it?" Taken Jan. 7, 2011.
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The Alps Down Below
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "Cloudy, but the crown of Italy, the Alps, can be clearly seen!" Taken Jan. 1, 2011.
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Happy New Year! 2011 Begins in Space
Credit: NASA/ESA
Expedition 26 'toasts' to the New Year as 2011 begins on the International Space Station. Taken Jan. 1, 2011.
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Pakistan at Night
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "If I did not get confused, this should be Karachi. Hello Pakistan!" Taken Dec. 30, 2010.
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Italy, My Home
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "Italy at night, 29 December 2010."
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Santa, Baby
Credit: NASA/ESA
"We had no milk or cookies, but even here Santa delivered! Merry Christmas from out of this world!" says Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli of ESA (left) a flight engineer during the Expedition 26/27 mission to the International Space Station. At top, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. Right: NASA astronaut Cady Coleman. Taken Dec. 25, 2010.
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Ireland and the United Kingdom
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "The United Kingdom and Ireland look like a gigantic Christmas tree!" Taken Dec. 24, 2010.
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Cairo and the Nile
Credit: NASA/ESA
From Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli: "Cairo and the Nile as seen from up here. Where are the pyramids?!" Taken Dec. 24, 2010.
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Naples and a Mt. Vesuvius at Night
Credit: NASA/ESA
Naples and the volcano Vesuvius as seen from International Space Station at night. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli snapped this photo on Dec. 24, 2010.
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The View From Here
Credit: ESA/NASA
The first view out the Soyuz window for Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli on Dec. 17, 2010, two days after launching into space on the Expedition 26/27 mission.
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We Made It
Credit: ESA
Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman give hearty thumbs up signs after reaching the International Space Station. This photo was taken on the station on Dec. 18, 2010, a day after the Soyuz TMA-20 craft carrying the astronauts arrived.
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Space Station, Here We Come!
Credit: ESA
Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli holds up a sign on Dec. 17, 2010 just before his Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft arrives at the International Space Station during the Expedition 26/27 mission.
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Blastoff
Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi
The Soyuz TMA-20 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:09 p.m. (EST) on Dec. 15, 2010 (1:09 a.m., Dec. 16 Kazakhstan time) carrying Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, Expedition 26 Soyuz commander and flight engineer; along with NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli, both flight engineers, to the International Space Station.
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Next Stop, Space
Credit: NASA/Harts
L-3: The Soyuz TMA-20 rocket is brought to the launch pad and deposited on the launch fixtures on Dec. 13, 2010. This is the same pad from where almost 50 years ago Yuri Gagarin took off for the first flight in space.
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Meeting Valentina
Credit: ESA - Kargapolov
Paolo Nespoli, ESA astronaut, ESA's Anna Tsikhala, and NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman meet Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, the first woman to go into space, at Star City, Russia Dec. 2 2010.
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Operation: Save the Space Station
Credit: ESA - G. Rigon
The International Space Station's Expedition 26/27 crew (Kondratyev, Nespoli, Coleman) is seen during the Russian Segment final exams. After 7 hours of "regular" simulation, the station catches fires (simulated by the smoke machine). The crew puts on oxygen respirators and scrambles to find/do the proper actions to find the source of the fire, extinguish it, and decontaminate the atmosphere.
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Meet the Soyuz Crew
Credit: ESA - G. Rigon
ESA Astronaut Paolo Nespoli and his fellow Soyuz TMA-20 crewmates meet the press at Star City following completion of their exam in the Soyuz capsule simulator on Nov. 25, 2010. Left to right Catherine Coleman, Dmitri Kondratyev and Paolo Nespoli. The Soyuz TMA-20 launched to the International Space Station on Dec. 15 2010. Nespoli will spend 6 months in space for his MagISStra mission.
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Upside Down
Credit: ESA
Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency takes a spin on a tilt bed to prepare his body for spaceflight during the ISS Expedition 26/27 missions in 2010/2011.
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Home, Sweet Spaceship
Credit: ESA
The Soyuz: small but reliable. Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli of ESA poses with Soyuz crewmates Cady Coleman of NASA (left) and Russian cosmonaut Dmitri Kondratyev on Dec. 11, 2010 before their Dec. 15 launch.
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Suit Up!
Credit: ESA
"I use this suit when I go to space (or come back). It's not Armani, but it fits pretty well!" says Italian astronaut Paoli Nespoli of the European Space Agency, flight engineer for the ISS Expedition 26/27 missions in 2010/2011. This image was taken on Dec. 11, 2010.
