Latest news with #DonPettit
Digital Trends
5 hours ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
Astronaut's photo shows a gorgeous ‘golden path'
Don Pettit is NASA's oldest serving astronaut, and even at the age of 70, he's not done yet. He's been to orbit four times since his first voyage back in 2002, and hopes to make it back there again in the coming years. The American astronaut's most recent space trip saw him living and working aboard the International Space Station (ISS) between September 2024 and April 2025. A big part of his time aboard the orbital outpost was spent observing Earth and capturing stunning imagery of our planet and beyond. Recommended Videos Since returning to terra firma a few months ago, Pettit has continued to share many of the images and videos that he didn't have a chance to post while he was in orbit. This latest stunner shows, in Pettit's own words, 'city lights at night, streaked by orbital speeds with time exposure,' which 'create a golden path seen only from space.' We can also see a docked Soyuz spacecraft in the foreground, and a Progress cargo ship, also docked, behind it. City lights at night, streaked by orbital speeds with time exposure, create a golden path seen only from space. — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) July 30, 2025 At night, Earth becomes speckled by the golden glow of city lights, but with the camera shutter kept open, and the space station orbiting Earth at a speed of around 17,500 mph, the lights streak across the frame to create a look that's as unique as it is gorgeous. During his most recent space voyage, Pettit also posted extraordinary imagery of Madagascar's Betsiboka River estuary, aurora rippling over Earth, the Grand Canyon, and moonlight reflections. Check out this collection of some his best work. 'Images from space help tell the story to people on Earth that don't have the opportunity to go into space,' Pettit said last year when asked why he enjoys taking photos from 250 miles up. He added that as well as capturing memories of his trips to orbit, 'the photographs help complete the story of what it means for human beings to expand into space and expand into this frontier.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
NASA proves growing plants in space is key to healthy astronaut life on Mars missions and deep space travel
The idea of growing plants in space once sounded like a far-off dream, but modern scientific advancements have brought it closer to reality. This achievement is not only about enjoying the sight of greenery in a weightless environment but also about ensuring survival, maintaining astronaut mental health , and supporting future deep space missions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Fresh vegetables in space could reduce dependency on pre-packaged food, recycle air and water, and offer emotional comfort during long-duration journeys to Mars or beyond. These experiments lay the groundwork for sustainable life-support systems essential for deep space exploration . Why growing plants in space is important Space travel involves extreme isolation and limited resources. Currently, astronauts rely on vacuum-packed and freeze-dried meals, which lack freshness and can lose nutritional value over time. Growing plants on spacecraft or space stations offers multiple benefits: Nutritional value: Fresh vegetables retain essential vitamins and minerals lost during food processing. Psychological comfort: Caring for plants and witnessing natural growth provides a sense of home and stress relief Life-support role: Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and can help purify water, contributing to a closed-loop life-support system. NASA's Veggie project overcomes challenges to bloom a Zinnia aboard the ISS In 2016, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly posted an image of a blooming zinnia aboard the International Space Station (ISS), calling it the 'first flower grown in space.' This was a breakthrough moment as it symbolized humanity's ability to grow complex plants beyond Earth. However, the journey to that bloom wasn't easy. The zinnias initially faced mold growth and were on the verge of dying. By following modified care instructions from NASA scientists and Kelly's careful attention—his 'green thumb'—the plants recovered and successfully bloomed. This experiment was part of NASA's Veggie project, which focuses on growing food in microgravity. Earlier attempts at growing flowers in space While Kelly's zinnias were celebrated worldwide, they were not technically the first flowers grown in space. There have been several earlier milestones: 2012 – Don Pettit's sunflower experiment: Astronaut Don Pettit cultivated a sunflower aboard the ISS using improvised containers and documented its journey in his blog Diary of a Space Zucchini. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 1990s – Wheat growth on Mir Station: Russian cosmonauts grew dwarf wheat aboard the Mir space station, demonstrating flowering in microgravity conditions. 1982 – Arabidopsis on Salyut 7: The Soviet crew successfully grew Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant, which Guinness World Records recognizes as the first plant to bloom and produce seeds in space. 1966 – Cosmos 110 Bean experiment: Even earlier, the uncrewed Soviet Cosmos 110 mission germinated and bloomed beans, which astonishingly grew almost twice as fast as on Earth. NASA's Veggie experiment: Pioneering growing plants in space NASA's Veggie experiment was developed to explore food production in space for long-duration missions. Initially, it focused on lettuce, later expanding to zinnias and eventually targeting tomatoes and other crops. Growing food in orbit is not just about nutrition but also about sustainability, reducing dependence on supply missions from Earth. In the future, space farming systems could become standard on missions to Mars or permanent lunar bases, providing astronauts with fresh food, cleaner air, and improved psychological well-being. Also Read |
Digital Trends
7 days ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
Watch these Starlink satellites whiz by as a comet makes a cosmic cameo
Recent space station inhabitant Don Pettit has shared a remarkable video showing dozens of orbiting Starlink satellites streaking across the dawn sky, photobombed by comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS). Captured from the International Space Station (ISS) during his stay there earlier this year, the footage, which also includes a part of the station at the bottom of the frame, clearly shows a number of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites moving from left to right in low-Earth orbit, and what appears to be the comet traveling in the opposite direction, far from our planet. Dozens of orbiting Starlink satellites streak visibly at dawn, photobombed by comet C/2024. — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) July 24, 2025 The difference in direction is due to the relative motion of the satellites, which orbit Earth and reflect pre-dawn sunlight, and the comet, which is distant and moving along its own trajectory across the sky. Recommended Videos SpaceX began deploying its Starlink internet satellites in 2019 and currently has around 8,000 of them in orbit, making it the world's largest satellite constellation. The Elon Musk-led company is aiming to deploy another 4,000 satellites, though the final constellation could expand to as many as 42,000 satellites. The more Starlink satellites SpaceX deploys, the wider the broadband coverage and the more reliable the service becomes. Starlink currently serves broadband internet to around 120 countries and territories, with more than 6 million customers on its books. But there's also a cost to having such a large constellation. Astronomers, for example, have been complaining for years that the growing number of Starlink satellites is interfering with their observations of deep space. The issue concerns sunlight reflecting off the satellites' surfaces. SpaceX has attempted to reduce the brightness of the reflected light by coating the satellites in a dark material, and also by adding reflective film to redirect the sunlight away from Earth. But that's not the only problem. Starlink satellites also emit radio signals that can interfere with sensitive radio astronomy observations, making it harder for astronomers to study the universe at certain wavelengths. As for Comet C/2024, it won't be appearing in other ISS videos anytime soon. The comet made its closest pass to Earth on January 13, coming within 8.7 million miles (around 14 million km) of our planet. But it's not expected to return for hundreds of thousands of years, so this particular flyby was a very rare approach. Interested to see more of Don Pettit's work? Then check out this collection of his best imagery from his most recent orbital mission.
The Sun
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Sun
From remarkable ‘red lightning sprite' to once-in-a-lifetime comet – 7 breathtaking snaps captured by Nasa astronauts
FROM roiling storms, rare comets and volcanic eruptions, there is lots to see aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Fortunately, astronauts are not only equipped with suites of scientific instruments, but cameras too - so we at home can enjoy the view as well. 7 Lightning sprite Nasa astronaut Nichole Ayers caught a phenomenon known as a sprite near the Texas-Mexico border from the ISS, some 250 miles above Earth. 'Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the US this morning, I caught this sprite," Ayers wrote on X earlier this month. "Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below. "We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms." Ayers snapped the picture with a Nikon Z9 using a 50mm lens (f/1.2, ¼ sec, ISO 6400) as part of a time-lapse set up in the Cupola - the domed window module on board the ISS. "It takes planning, timing, and a lot of pictures to capture such a rare phenomenon," she added. 7 7 Once-in-a-lifetime comet Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS - dubbed the 'once-in-a-lifetime comet' - was photographed by Nasa astronaut Don Pettit from the ISS last autumn. Scientists at the Royal Astronomical Society dubbed it the "comet of the century" because of its brightness and rarity. The icy comet won't be visible on Earth again for another 80,000 years - making the sighting particularly rare. 7 Aurora meets airglow Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake shared this snap or aurora - or Northern Lights - dancing near Earth's airglow in 2016. In his whopping 340 days in space, Kelly was able to provide some stunning images of Earth seen from above. These are two of Earth's most colorful upper atmospheric phenomena. The wavy green, red-topped wisps of aurora borealis appear to intersect the faint red-yellow band of airglow. Though they appear at similar altitudes, aurora and airglow are different. Nighttime airglow - also known as nightglow - is a type of chemiluminescence that occurs all around the Earth, all the time. This is where light is emitted from chemical interactions between oxygen, nitrogen, and other molecules in the upper atmosphere. Auroras, on the other hand, are caused by charged solar particles colliding with Earth's atmosphere. 7 'Devil horned' volcano While technically snapped by data visualisers at Nasa's Earth Observatory, this "devilish" Russian volcano was captured spitting out a 1,000-mile-long stream of smoke into Earth's atmosphere. The striking image was snapped by Nasa's Aqua satellite between June 22 and Dec. 31, 2023. It was during an active eruption phase of the volcano, known as Klyuchevskoy or sometimes Klyuchevskaya Sopka - an area home to more than 300 volcanoes. The two-pronged devil horns depict twin lava flows spewing out of the volcanoes mouth. Spacewalk The ISS has been orbiting Earth for nearly three decades, after first launching in November 1998. Astronauts have conducted 275 spacewalks since the station opened - one of the riskiest jobs an astronaut will ever undertake. Backdropped by New Zealand and the Cook Strait in the Pacific Ocean, astronauts Robert Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang participate in an extravehicular activity, December 12, 2006. Their job was to support the construction of the orbital outpost, and proved the source of quite the stellar image. 7 Ganges river The Ganges river, the world's largest river delta, was photographed in near-infrared from the ISS by Pettit. The ISS utilises near-infrared imagery for various scientific purposes, including atmospheric studies and Earth observation. It is key to capturing images of the Earth's airglow, clouds, and other surface features during nighttime. The end result are incredible false-colour images that show Earth in a completely new light. False-color images combine and rearrange colour channels from multiple sources to visualise new details. These details are either things that cannot be seen by the human eye - or aspects that may be obscured in true colour images, such as healthy vegetation or different soil types.
The Advertiser
15-07-2025
- Science
- The Advertiser
'Return to home planet': 70-year-old astronaut performs zero-gravity yo-yo trick
NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, has performed a new yo-yo trick on the International Space Station, dubbing it with an extremely apt name. The 70-year-old said a circular motion was required to ensure the yo-yo's string was kept taut in space. The video shows the orbiter unwinding the yo-yo before spinning it 360 degrees. He flips it with his finger before it launches back to his hand. "When in space, you get to name what you discover. I call this yo-yo trick 'Return to Home Planet'," Mr Pettit said. The fitting name comes as the septuagenarian had returned to his home planet after a seven-month mission on the International Space Station on April 20 - his 70th birthday. He landed in Kazakhstan, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagne. "During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitisation technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behaviour in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions," NASA said at the time. READ MORE: Australia's first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg inspires children Mr Pettit has been known to capture attention with his videos of experiments in space. In 2013, the space agency shared a video of him utilising Angry Birds to explain how physics works in space. It was his fourth mission to space after he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and his first launch as a flight engineer in 2006. Mr Pettit also invented the "zero-g" coffee cup that carries fluid along a crease to avoid the need for a straw. NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, has performed a new yo-yo trick on the International Space Station, dubbing it with an extremely apt name. The 70-year-old said a circular motion was required to ensure the yo-yo's string was kept taut in space. The video shows the orbiter unwinding the yo-yo before spinning it 360 degrees. He flips it with his finger before it launches back to his hand. "When in space, you get to name what you discover. I call this yo-yo trick 'Return to Home Planet'," Mr Pettit said. The fitting name comes as the septuagenarian had returned to his home planet after a seven-month mission on the International Space Station on April 20 - his 70th birthday. He landed in Kazakhstan, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagne. "During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitisation technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behaviour in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions," NASA said at the time. READ MORE: Australia's first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg inspires children Mr Pettit has been known to capture attention with his videos of experiments in space. In 2013, the space agency shared a video of him utilising Angry Birds to explain how physics works in space. It was his fourth mission to space after he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and his first launch as a flight engineer in 2006. Mr Pettit also invented the "zero-g" coffee cup that carries fluid along a crease to avoid the need for a straw. NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, has performed a new yo-yo trick on the International Space Station, dubbing it with an extremely apt name. The 70-year-old said a circular motion was required to ensure the yo-yo's string was kept taut in space. The video shows the orbiter unwinding the yo-yo before spinning it 360 degrees. He flips it with his finger before it launches back to his hand. "When in space, you get to name what you discover. I call this yo-yo trick 'Return to Home Planet'," Mr Pettit said. The fitting name comes as the septuagenarian had returned to his home planet after a seven-month mission on the International Space Station on April 20 - his 70th birthday. He landed in Kazakhstan, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagne. "During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitisation technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behaviour in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions," NASA said at the time. READ MORE: Australia's first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg inspires children Mr Pettit has been known to capture attention with his videos of experiments in space. In 2013, the space agency shared a video of him utilising Angry Birds to explain how physics works in space. It was his fourth mission to space after he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and his first launch as a flight engineer in 2006. Mr Pettit also invented the "zero-g" coffee cup that carries fluid along a crease to avoid the need for a straw. NASA's oldest active astronaut, Don Pettit, has performed a new yo-yo trick on the International Space Station, dubbing it with an extremely apt name. The 70-year-old said a circular motion was required to ensure the yo-yo's string was kept taut in space. The video shows the orbiter unwinding the yo-yo before spinning it 360 degrees. He flips it with his finger before it launches back to his hand. "When in space, you get to name what you discover. I call this yo-yo trick 'Return to Home Planet'," Mr Pettit said. The fitting name comes as the septuagenarian had returned to his home planet after a seven-month mission on the International Space Station on April 20 - his 70th birthday. He landed in Kazakhstan, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagne. "During his time aboard the space station, Pettit conducted research to enhance in-orbit metal 3D printing capabilities, advance water sanitisation technologies, explore plant growth under varying water conditions, and investigate fire behaviour in microgravity, all contributing to future space missions," NASA said at the time. READ MORE: Australia's first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg inspires children Mr Pettit has been known to capture attention with his videos of experiments in space. In 2013, the space agency shared a video of him utilising Angry Birds to explain how physics works in space. It was his fourth mission to space after he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and his first launch as a flight engineer in 2006. Mr Pettit also invented the "zero-g" coffee cup that carries fluid along a crease to avoid the need for a straw.
