Started on September 22, 2010, he shared his photographs of stunning views of our planet from space. All captions for photographs are his own.
Let's go! It was October 23, 2007 at 11:40 am, my first flight on Discovery into space. He is beautiful... very sad that this will be his last flight. September 23, 2010:
"Earthglow" ... The space station is bathed in the bluish glow of the Earth as the rays of the rising sun pierce the atmosphere and illuminate our station with blue light. I will never forget this place...November 7, 2010:
NASA astronaut Douglas Harry Wheelock:
The island of Juan di Nova is located in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and the African continent. November 15, 2010:
Aurora borealis on this beautiful night over Europe. The Strait of Dover is clearly visible, as are the lights of Paris. Light fog over western England and London. It's incredible when you see city lights from deep space. I will miss these beautiful views of our world... November 8, 2010:
I hope we never cease to be amazed. A passion for exploration and discovery is a noble legacy we will leave to our children. I hope that one day we will set sail and set off on an adventure. And it will be a wonderful day... August 22, 2010:
Of all the places on our planet, there are few that rival the vibrant colors of the Bahamas. Here is a view of our Progress 37 cargo ship with the Bahamas in the background. What a wonderful world! August 22, 2010:
Traveling at 28,000 kilometers per hour (8 kilometers per second) ... we circle the Earth every 90 minutes with sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. Thus, half of our space walk takes place in complete darkness. The light from our helmets is simply necessary while working. August 14, 2010:
Every minute I glance through the window at our beautiful planet, my soul just sings! ... "I see a blue sky... and white clouds... and a clear sunny day...". June 29, 2010:
Another spectacular sunset...we have 16 of them every day in Earth's orbit. The beautiful thin blue line is what makes our home so special from space. June 21, 2010:
A beautiful atoll in the South Pacific through a 400mm lens. About 1200 km south of Honolulu. November 15, 2010:
Beautiful reflections of sunlight on the eastern Mediterranean Sea. From space you can see no borders, no conflicts... just breathtaking beauty, like this view of the island of Cyprus on June 21, 2010:
We're over the mid-Atlantic before another gorgeous sunset. The spiral from Hurricane Graph is visible against the background of the setting sun. An interesting view of the life-giving energy of our Sun. Solar panels on the left side of the space station, like Hurricane Graph, collect the last energy before sunset. August 20, 2010:
A little further to the east, we saw the sacred and majestic rock "Uluru". You may be more familiar with its other name - Ayers Rock. I haven't had the opportunity to visit Australia, but one day I hope to stand next to this natural wonder. October 26, 2010:
The majestic Andes in South America. I'm not sure I know the name of this mountain... I was just in awe of its majesty, reaching the heights of the winds and the rising sun. October 30, 2010:
Sahara Desert - ancient sands and thousands of years of history. Visible are the Nile River flowing through Egypt, the Red Sea, the Sinai Peninsula, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea and Greece appearing on the horizon. June 9, 2010:
Night view of the Nile River winding through the Egyptian desert towards the Mediterranean Sea. Such a stark contrast between the dark, lifeless desert of North Africa and the Nile River with the abundance of life along its banks. January 31, 2010:
Our unmanned Progress 39 cargo spacecraft before docking last Sunday. He brought us food, fuel and spare parts. The real gift was behind his hatch - several bags of fresh fruits and vegetables. Such a pleasure after 3 months of eating from plastic bags! September 15, 2010:
This weekend we said goodbye to our teammates Sasha, Misha and Tracy. They returned safely to planet Earth. Tracy is in quiet reflection from our incredible journey... The road home... September 26, 2010:
Soyuz 23 docked with the Space Station. It will take us home to planet Earth when our work is completed. We fly over the majestic and snow-capped mountains of the Caucasus. Sunrise reflected from the Caspian Sea. September 26, 2010:
An explosion of color, movement and life is painted onto the canvas of our wonderful world. It is part of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia. August 22, 2010:
The beauty of Italy on a clear summer night. You can see many beautiful islands decorating the coasts of Capri, Sicily and Malta. The city of Naples and Mount Vesuvius line the coast. August 22, 2010:
In the south of South America lies the pearl of Patagonia. The spectacular beauty of the rocky mountains, massive glaciers, fjords...I dreamed of this place. August 28, 2010:
The Dome module of the ISS orbital station, providing panoramic views of our planet. Fedor took this photo from the Pirs docking module. This is me in the Dome, preparing the camera for filming Hurricane Graf. August 31, 2010:
Greek islands on a clear night. Athens shines brightly along the Mediterranean Sea. It's a very surreal feeling to see this magnificent ancient land from space. September 4, 2010:
The evening view of the Florida peninsula and the southeastern United States is the view I miss the most. A clear autumn night with moonlight over the water and a sky filled with billions of stars. November 2, 2010:
A clear, starry night over the eastern Mediterranean. Ancient lands with a thousand-year history stretch from Athens, Greece to Cairo, Egypt. Ancient lands, legendary cities and enchanting islands... Athens - Crete - Rhodes - Izmir - Ankara - Cyprus - Damascus - Beirut - Haifa - Amman - Tel Aviv - Jerusalem - Cairo - lighthouses in a cool November night. November 7, 2010:
Pictures of night, glowing clouds in the mesosphere. Noctilucent or polar mesospheric clouds are the highest cloud formations that form in the atmosphere. June 25, 2010:
Shannon, me and Fedor. The countdown to landing begins. Don't put out the lights, we'll be home soon...November 20, 2010:
A few more photographs of Douglas Harry Wheelock without captions.
The photo was taken on a digital camera with a 14 mm lens on board the ISS. On the left you can see one of the station's orbital panels.
2. This part of the Green River in eastern Utah (USA) seems to be tied in a knot.
In the photograph taken from the ISS on January 22, 2014, the river appears dark because the surrounding landscape is 300 meters higher than its level. The white line crossing out the photo is the contrail from the jetliner.
3. Photo from the ISS taken on December 12, 2013
The white flash of lightning contrasts with the yellow lights of the cities of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
4. Photo taken by Landsat 8 on March 30, 2014
A volcanic island that appeared in the winter of 2013-2014, 600 kilometers south of Tokyo.
5. This panoramic image of the southwest Pacific Ocean was taken on January 28, 2014 from the ISS.
In the center of the islands, which belong to the group of French Southern and Antarctic territories and belong to France. In a photograph taken from orbit, you can see the mechanism of wave generation in the ocean: larger and higher islands generate higher waves.
6. Lake Sharp in South Dakota (USA), photograph from the ISS, taken December 26, 2013
In those places, the Missouri River makes bizarre bends, one of which can be seen in the photo. The surface of the lake is frozen and covered with snow. On a small peninsula, round fields are clearly visible. Their shape is explained by the type of irrigation - in the center there is a source of water distributed evenly in all directions.
7. Photo of Moscow at night, ISS, January 29, 2014
8. Panorama of Cuba, ISS, December 26, 2014
9. View of the Grand Canyon from the ISS, March 25, 2014
10. View of Manhattan and Central Park in New York from the ISS, January 9, 2014
11. A fresh apple floats in zero gravity near the ISS window
12. Manicouagan Reservoir in Quebec (Canada), ISS, January 2, 2014
Scientists suggest that the crater in the center of the image was formed 215.5 million years ago after an asteroid with a diameter of 5 kilometers crashed into the Earth.
13. Darkness in North Korea
This image was taken from the ISS on January 30, 2014. The illuminated China and South Korea are clearly visible. The practical dark space between them is the territory of North Korea. The brightest point is Pyongyang, the capital of the country. In terms of lighting, it resembles small South Korean cities. Annual per capita electricity consumption is 739 kilowatt-hours in North Korea and 10,162 kilowatt-hours in South Korea.
14. Image of the Almaty region of Kazakhstan from the Landsat 8 satellite, September 9, 2013
This is a rare form of relief - an alluvial cone. The Tente River flows through the foothills of the Dzhungar Alatau. As the topography and profile of the river changes, geological sediments are formed, which can be seen in this photograph.
15. Ultra-small Earth satellites CubeSat, photograph from the ISS, February 25, 2014
16. Islands of the Four Mountains, part of the Aleutian Islands chain (near Alaska), November 15, 2013
The southeastern slopes of the islands are illuminated by sunlight. These islands are nothing more than the tops of volcanoes that rose from the seabed.
17. The Moon, partially in the shadow of the Earth, February 21, 2014, ISS
18. Deserts in central Iran, February 14, 2014, ISS
There is a dark lake in the center of the photo. There are no landmarks in the photo that could give an idea of its size. There are 65 kilometers between the left and right edges of the image.
19. Mountain range in central Namibia, May 15, 2014
20. Fog and clouds over Malaysia, March 13, 2014, ISS
21. Launch of the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
22. March 27, 2014, Soyuz spacecraft before docking with the International Space Station
23. Karst mountains in the Chinese province of Guangxi, October 8, 2013, Landasat 8 satellite image
24. Bazman volcano in Iran, part of the reserve in the provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan, January 5, 2014, ISS
The volcano has a classic cone shape, but on its slopes there are relatively symmetrical channels that ensure uniform water flow.
25. Ice field in Southern Patagonia (Argentina), February 13, 2014, ISS.
Its area is 13 thousand square kilometers
26. The Soyuz spacecraft carries away three cosmonauts from the ISS, who worked there for about six months
27. District of the city of Zhezkazgan (Kazakhstan), May 14, 2014, photograph from the ISS
28. The Soyuz spacecraft from the previous photo landed successfully.
Astronauts leave the spacecraft capsule on Earth.
June 15th, 2014
We have all seen many times a wide variety of space stations and space cities in science fiction films. But they are all unrealistic. Brian Versteeg of Spacehabs uses real-world scientific principles to develop space station concepts that could one day actually be built. One such settlement station is Kalpana One. More precisely, an improved, modern version of a concept developed in the 1970s. Kalpana One is a cylindrical structure with a radius of 250 meters and a length of 325 meters. Approximate population level: 3,000 citizens.
Let's take a closer look at this city...
Photo 2. 
“The Kalpana One Space Settlement is the result of research into the very real limits of the structure and form of huge space settlements. Starting from the late 60s and up to the 80s of the last century, humanity absorbed the idea of the shapes and sizes of possible space stations of the future, which were shown all this time in science fiction films and in various pictures. However, many of these forms had some design flaws that, in reality, would result in such structures suffering from insufficient stability during rotation in space. Other forms did not effectively use the ratio of structural and protective mass to create habitable areas,” says Versteeg.
Photo 3. 
“When searching for a shape that would allow the creation of a living and habitable area under overload conditions and would have the necessary protective mass, it was found that the oblong shape of the station would be the most suitable choice. Due to the sheer size and design of such a station, very little effort or adjustment would be required to avoid its oscillations.”
Photo 4. 
“With the same radius of 250 meters and a depth of 325 meters, the station will make two full revolutions around itself per minute and create the feeling that a person, being in it, will experience the feeling as if he were in conditions of earthly gravity. And this is a very important aspect, since gravity will allow us to live longer in space, because our bones and muscles will develop in the same way as they would on Earth. Since such stations in the future may become permanent habitats for people, it is very important to create conditions on them that are as close as possible to the conditions on our planet. Make it so that people can not only work on it, but also relax. And relax with delights.”
Photo 5. 
“And although the physics of hitting or throwing, say, a ball in such an environment will be very different from on Earth, the station will definitely offer a wide variety of sports (and other) activities and entertainment.”
Photo 6. 
Brian Versteeg is a concept designer and is focused on the work of future technology and space exploration. He worked with many private space companies, as well as print publications, to whom he showed concepts of what humanity would use in the future to conquer space. The Kalpana One project is one such concept.
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But for example, some more old concepts:
Scientific base on the Moon. 1959 concept
Image: Magazine “Technology of Youth”, 1965/10
Toroidal Colony Concept
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Developed by the NASA aerospace agency in the 1970s. As planned, the colony would have been designed to house 10,000 people. The design itself was modular and would allow the connection of new compartments. It would be possible to travel in them on a special vehicle called ANTS.
Image and presentation: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Spheres Bernal
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Another concept was developed at NASA Ames Research Center in the 1970s. Population: 10,000 The main idea of the Bernal Sphere is spherical living compartments. The populated area is in the center of the sphere, surrounded by areas for agricultural and agricultural production. Sunlight is used as lighting for residential and agricultural areas, which is redirected into them through a solar mirror battery system. Special panels release residual heat into space. Factories and docks for spaceships are located in a special long pipe in the center of the sphere.
Image: Rick Guidis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Rick Guidis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Cylindrical colony concept developed in the 1970s
Image: Rick Guidys/NASA/Ames Research Center
Intended for a population of more than one million people. The idea of the concept belongs to the American physicist Gerard K. Onil.
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Don Davis/NASA/Ames Research Center
Image and presentation: Rick Guidys/NASA/Ames Research Center
1975 View from inside the colony, the concept idea of which belongs to Onil. Agricultural sectors with various types of vegetables and plants are located on terraces that are installed on each level of the colony. Light for the crop is provided by mirrors that reflect the sun's rays.
Image: NASA/Ames Research Center
Image: Magazine “Technology of Youth”, 1977/4
Huge orbital farms like this one in the picture will produce enough food for space settlers
Image: Delta, 1980/1
Mining colony on an asteroid
Image: Delta, 1980/1
Toroidal space colony of the future. 1982
Space base concept. 1984
Image: Les Bosinas/NASA/Glenn Research Center
Moon base concept. 1989
Image: NASA/JSC
Concept of a multifunctional Mars base. 1991
Image: NASA/Glenn Research Center
1995 Moon
Earth's natural satellite appears to be an excellent place to test equipment and train people for missions to Mars.
The special gravitational conditions of the Moon will be an excellent place for sports competitions.
Image: Pat Rawlings/NASA
1997 Ice mining in the dark craters of the lunar south pole opens up opportunities for human expansion within the solar system. In this unique location, people from a space colony powered by solar energy will produce fuel to send spacecraft from the lunar surface. Water from potential ice sources, or regolith, will flow within the dome cells and prevent exposure to harmful radiation.
Image: Pat Rawlings/NASA
The International Space Station is a space bastion of humanity in Earth orbit,
performing important duty and research functions. The best and smartest people who are able to work in harsh conditions and without gravity are selected for the ISS. The rotation method allows
replace astronauts after some time, and NASA’s agreement with leading rocket manufacturers
carriers are regularly supplied with transport for transporting astronauts. On board the ISS there are
important scientific instruments that allow us to observe space directly
at the orbital station, as well as conduct important experiments in space conditions.
NASA intends to deliver its astronauts to the International Space Station on a ship from SpaceX. It is still in the testing stage, and the unmanned launch is constantly being postponed - it was originally scheduled for January 7, but then it was. There is a risk that by 2020 it will still not be ready for regular flights, so NASA decided to play it safe and buy two seats from Roscosmos for flights to the ISS.
The Research and Design Institute of Chemical Engineering (NIIkhimmash) has begun developing a sauna and a washing machine for use in space (at orbital stations and bases on other planets). This is the only domestic developer of such systems.
