A picture’s worth a thousand words, but they can also leave you speechless. Every so often, a picture can capture something so unique, you’ve never seen anything quite like it.
That’s certainly the case for ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, who captured some very moving images of the successful Soyuz launch Monday. Gerst’s photos from ISS show contrails from the Russian spacecraft as it strains against the atmosphere to break into space.
Congratulations to the Russian Space Agency @roscosmos and all international partners for a flawless launch of #SoyuzMS11. And welcome to space, @Astro_DavidS, @AstroAnnimal and Oleg! #Exp57 #Exp58 #Horizons pic.twitter.com/rzEjtm2PcO
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) December 3, 2018
Gerst was documenting the flight of his future station mates, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques and Roscosmos astronaut and expedition commander Oleg Kononenko. The mission was the first to fly since an earlier launch had to abort from the Soyuz spacecraft because of trouble with the rocket. Both the astronauts on that launch made it to the ground safely.
Gerst is set to return home on Dec. 20. He’s also filled his Twitter timeline with more shots from space. A few of his best can be seen below.
Just a subtle line of perforations in the blue, but actually a tectonic plate boundary. My fellow-geophysicist @Astro_Feustel took this amazing photo of Indonesia’s volcano island chain. pic.twitter.com/ddntz4WzYK
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) December 2, 2018
All greatness becomes small in light of infinity. Or, rather, in its lack of light. #Horizons pic.twitter.com/PFzGwo4TTm
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) December 2, 2018
A lone volcanic island in Antarctica. What a fascinating frozen world of ice. And yet life exists there. Do you think there might be life on Mars? Let’s find out! @ESA_ExoMars #Horizons pic.twitter.com/Eo1CGNm32S
— Alexander Gerst (@Astro_Alex) November 30, 2018
