The space shuttle Endeavour is silhouetted against the backdrop of Earth's horizon prior to docking with the International Space Station in this picture taken by an Expedition 22 crew member on February 9, 2010 and released by NASA February 12, 2010.
Backdropped by a night time view of the Earth and the starry sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour is seen docked to the International Space Station in this photo provided by NASA and taken on May 28, 2011. Picture taken on May 28, 2011.
During the second STS-127 spacewalk, astronaut Dave Wolf, aboard the International Space Station's robot arm, transported the Linear Drive Unit (LDU) and two other parts to the station's External Stowage Platform 3 for long-term storage in this NASA handout photo taken July 20, 2009. Picture taken July 20, 2009.
One of two Soyuz spacecrafts docked with the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by a crew member aboard the station while Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) was docked with the station in this NASA handout photo taken July 25, 2009.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the station before returning home after spending 197 days in space.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Picture taken October 4, 2018.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Picture taken October 4, 2018.
Astronaut Karen Nyberg looks through a window in the newly installed Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station while Space Shuttle Discovery is docked with the station in this photo released by NASA
Astronaut Mike Hopkins, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer, is shown in this handout photo provided by NASA as he participates in the second of two spacewalks which took place on December 24, 2013, released on December 27, 2013. The scheduled spacewalks were designed to allow the crew to change out a faulty water pump on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. He was joined on both spacewalks by NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, whose image shows up in Hopkins' helmet visor.
The space shuttle Discovery is pictured after it undocked from the International Space Station, in this photograph taken more than 200 miles above Earth and released on March 9, 2011. Astronauts on board Discovery closed the ship's payload bay doors on Wednesday in preparation for a landing in Florida that will complete the 27-year flying career of the world's most-traveled spaceship.
Backdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, a portion of the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by a crew member aboard the station in this photo released by NASA and taken February 15, 2010.
Image used for illustrative purpose.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Expedition 32 flight engineer, takes part in the mission?s third session of extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station in this NASA handout photo taken September 5, 2012.
Expedition 51 Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency photographed Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft as it approached the International Space Station, April 22, 2017. Using the station's robotic Canadarm2, Cygnus was successfully captured by Pesquet and Commander Peggy Whitson at 6:05 a.m. EDT. The spacecraft’s arrival brought more than 7,600 pounds of research and supplies to support Expedition 51 and 52.
Image used for illustrative purpose.
Astronaut Robert L. Satcher Jr. works outside the International Space Station as he participates in Space Shuttle Atlantis' first spacewalk of mission STS-129 as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station in this photo released by NASA and taken November 19, 2009. Picture taken November 19, 2009.
Space tourist Anousheh Ansari is photographed in her seat on board the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft while enroute to the International Space Station in this September 18, 2006 handout photo provided by NASA. Photo taken September 18, 2006. A Russian Soyuz capsule with Ansari on board undocked from the International Space Station on September 28, 2006 and began its return to Earth.
NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff uses a laptop computer on the aft flight deck of space shuttle Endeavour during rendezvous and docking operations with the International Space Station in this photograph provided by NASA and taken May 18, 2011.
The moon rises in this photo taken in low Earth orbit by NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik from the International Space Station on August 3, 2017.
NASA picture inside the Cupola aboard the International Space Station shows NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, an Expedition 36 flight engineer, using a 400mm lens on a digital still camera to photograph a target of opportunity on Earth some 250 miles below him in this NASA image released on June 10, 2013. Cassidy has been aboard the orbital outpost since late March and will continue his stay into September.
A crescent moon rises over the cusp of the Earth's atmosphere in this picture by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata onboard the International Space Station taken February 1, 2014.
Distinct colors are visible because the dominant gases and particles in each layer of the atmosphere act as prisms, filtering out certain colors of light.
An aerial view from the International Space Station shows the Western Sahara Desert where it meets the Atlantic Ocean in this NASA handout shot by Expedition 40 Commander Steve Swanson on May 23, 2014. The three Expedition 40 crew members aboard the International Space Station worked advanced science this week while awaiting a new trio of crew members set to lift off on May 28, 2014 aboard the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft.
A view photographed by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman from the International Space Station showing part of the United States mainland from the state of Florida to Louisiana just before dawn September 12, 2014 is seen in this handout photo provided by NASA September 16, 2014. Wiseman and fellow crew members of Expedition 41 spent the day training for next weeks's launch to the orbiting complex, according to NASA.
The umbra, the moon's shadow, over the United States from space is seen from the International Space Station from outer space, August 21, 2017 in this social media image. Courtesy @Space_Station/Intl. Space
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly is seen inside the cupola of the International Space Station, a special module that provides a 360-degree viewing of the Earth and the station in this undated photo released on March 11, 2016. The astronaut who currently holds the American record for most time spent in space, Scott Kelly, will retire from NASA as of April 1, NASA said on Friday.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Picture taken October 4, 2018.
A large mass of storm clouds over the Atlantic Ocean near Brazil and the Equator is seen in this NASA handout image taken by an Expedition 36 crew member aboard the International Space Station on July 4, 2013 and released to Reuters on July 9, 2013. A Russian spacecraft, docked to the orbiting outpost, partially covers a small patch of sunlight on the ocean waters in a break in the clouds.
Aurora is captured in this photo taken from the International Space Station and posted by European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst to social media on August 29, 2014. Crewmembers on the space station photograph the Earth from their unique point of view located 200 miles above the surface.
Russian cosmonaut (no name given) works during a mission in open space outside the International Space Station in this handout picture released August 24, 2012. Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko conducted 5 hour 50 minute-long mission in open space on August 20, 2012.
Image used for illustrative purpose.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018.
NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, currently serving as part of Expedition 36 aboard the International Space Station, demonstrates how she washes her hair in zero gravity in this still image taken from NASA video released July 12, 2013. REUTERS/NASA
The sun is about to come up over the South Pacific Ocean in this colorful scene photographed by one of the Expedition 35 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station between 4 and 5 a.m. local time on May 5, 2013 and released on May 9, 2013. The space station was at a point above Earth located at 27.4 degrees south latitude and 110.1 degrees west longitude, a few hundred miles east of Easter Island.
The International Space Station is seen in this view from the space shuttle Discovery after the undocking of the two spacecraft in this photo provided by NASA and taken March 7, 2011. Astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery prepared on Tuesday to bring NASA's most-traveled spacecraft back to Earth, wrapping up its 39th and final mission.
The eye of Hurricane Arthur is seen over the Atlantic in this photo from the International Space Station tweeted by European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst July 3, 2014. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season gained strength on Thursday as it spun toward the North Carolina coast on the verge of Category 2 status, forcing thousands of vacationers to scrap their July Fourth holiday plans amid evacuation orders.
The Milky Way is pictured in this September 28, 2014 handout photo from the International Space Station taken by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman. NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore will join Wiseman for the second Expedition 41 spacewalk on October 15.
NASA astronauts Greg Chamitoff (L), mission specialist, and space shuttle Endeavour Commander Mark Kelly, work on the orbiter's middeck in this photo provided by NASA and taken May 17, 2011. Space shuttle Endeavour reached the International Space Station on Wednesday to deliver a premiere science instrument and spare parts during NASA's next-to-last shuttle mission. The two-day trip to the orbital outpost ended at 6:14 a.m. EDT as the shuttle and stationed soared 220 miles (350 km)northeast of Chile.
Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia is pictured in this handout photo taken by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield February 26, 2013, aboard the International Space Station courtesy of NASA.
The sun reflects off the water in this picture taken by German astronaut Alexander Gerst from the International Space Station and sent on his Twitter feed July 17, 2014.
A photo taken on July 26, 2017 by a member of the Expedition 52 crew aboard the International Space Station shows one of the 16 sunrises they experience every day while orbiting Earth. One of the solar panels that provides power to the station is seen in the upper left.
The International Space Station (ISS) photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking, October 4, 2018. NASA astronauts Andrew Feustel and Ricky Arnold and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev executed a fly around of the orbiting laboratory to take pictures of the station before returning home after spending 197 days in space. Picture taken October 4, 2018.
A view of Earth from the Cupola on the earth-facing side of the International Space Station is seen in this NASA handout photo taken June 12, 2013 and provided June 17, 2013. Visible in the top left foreground is a Russian Soyuz crew capsule. In the lower right corner, a solar array panel can be seen.
International Space Station turns 20
Images from our home in space as the International Space Station celebrates 20 years of occupancy.