Archive · 2 Aug 2026
NASA Astronaut Captures Milky Way from ISS Cupola
NASA astronaut Don Pettit took a special picture of the Milky Way from the International Space Station.
He used a Nikon Z9 camera with a 15‑mm Arri Zeiss lens and a custom tracking system to keep the camera steady while the station moved.
The camera’s wide‑open T1.8 setting let in a lot of light, making the stars bright.
The photo is part of a huge collection of 1.2 million RAW images that the crew took on the mission.
Pettit shared the image on social media, showing people a new view of our galaxy from space.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured a never‑before‑seen Milky Way image from the ISS Cupola.
The photo was taken with a Nikon Z9 camera, a 15 mm Arri Zeiss lens, and a custom sidereal tracking drive.
The image is part of a newly released archive of 1.2 million RAW files collected during a recent ISS mission.
The camera setup used a wide‑open T1.8 aperture to gather more light during the exposure.
The archive showcases the Milky Way from the unique perspective of the ISS’s observation module.
- Who
- NASA astronaut Don Pettit
- What
- captured a Milky Way photo from the ISS Cupola
- When
- during a recent ISS mission
- Where
- International Space Station’s Cupola module
- Why
- to share a remarkable image and release a large archive of RAW files
- Astronaut
- Don Pettit
- Camera
- Nikon Z9
- Lens
- 15 mm Arri Zeiss
- Aperture
- T1.8
- Tracking
- Custom sidereal drive
- Archive size
- 1.2 million RAW files
- Location
- ISS Cupola
- Mission
- Recent ISS mission