Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

Look what photobombed ISS astronaut’s photo of Earth

By

look what photobombed iss astronauts photo of earth spacex dragon capsule
Tim Peake
British astronaut Tim Peake has been dazzling his Twitter followers with some spectacular shots of Earth and beyond during his stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

A photo he snapped on Sunday, however, was spectacularly photobombed by SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which drifted into view just as Peake was about to grab a shot of Dubai’s famous Palm Islands.

Recommended Videos

“I’ve been waiting to get a pic of The Palms, Dubai & then this happened just prior to capture :) #LuckyDay,” the astronaut tweeted.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

A short while later he posted an image of the Palms “minus the #Dragon photobomb.”

The Dragon capsule’s consignment for the space station’s six-person crew included vital supplies, equipment for science experiments, and a special “inflatable room” that you can read more about here.

Its arrival marked the first time for two U.S. commercial spacecraft to be connected to the ISS at the same time, Space.com reported. The other, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo carrier, arrived at the station on March 26.

The ISS is now playing host to six visiting spacecraft – two U.S. and four Russian – equaling a record set back in 2011.

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule arrived at the ISS two days after its launch vehicle, the Falcon 9, made history by nailing its first-ever sea-based barge landing. The space company achieved the feat on its fifth attempt, with earlier efforts ending with the rocket toppling over and exploding seconds after touchdown.

SpaceX’s long-term ambition is to create a reliable and reusable rocket system aimed at drastically reducing the cost of space missions, whether for space tourism, resupply missions to the ISS, or journeys into deep space.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
SpaceX recreates iconic New York City photo with Starship workers
SpaceX engineers high above the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX has given a shout-out to some of its engineers as the company prepares for its first attempt at "catching" a first-stage Super Heavy booster as it returns to Earth.

In a message accompanying two images that recreate the iconic Lunch Atop a Skyscraper photo taken in New York City in 1932, SpaceX said on X (formerly Twitter) that the engineers have spent “years” preparing for the booster catch, a feat that it’s planning to try for the first time with the upcoming fifth test flight of the Starship. It also included a photo of how the first-stage Super Heavy booster will look when clasped between the tower’s giant mechanical arms after launching the upper-stage Starship spacecraft to orbit.

Read more
Astronaut’s stunning photo shows ‘flowing silver snakes’
A photo of Earth at night taken by NASA astronaut Don Pettit.

Over his three previous missions to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Don Pettit earned a reputation for having a keen eye when it comes to photographing Earth and beyond.

Since arriving at the ISS on his fourth orbital mission earlier this month, Pettit, who at 69 is NASA’s oldest active astronaut, has wasted little time in grabbing the station’s cameras to capture and share fresh dazzling imagery shot from 250 miles above Earth.

Read more
London sparkles in astronaut’s gorgeous night shot from the ISS
London seen from the ISS.

A gorgeous image captured by a recent arrival at the International Space Station (ISS) shows the night lights of London gleaming 250 miles below.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit -- NASA’s oldest active astronaut at 69 -- arrived at the station last week on his fourth trip to orbit.

Read more