Don Pettit, NASA’s oldest active astronaut, turns 70 in April. He’s one of the best photographers to have spent time on the International Space Station (ISS) and continues to prove it from Earth orbit.
Pettit flew to the ISS for the third time in September 2024 aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft, becoming the second-oldest person to reach orbit after the legendary astronaut John Glenn, who did so at 77. During his six-month mission as part of Expedition 72, he’s once again delighted the world with stunning images.
His latest photo captures the Milky Way’s core and zodiacal light diffused by interplanetary dust. Alongside a rarely-seen starry sky, the long-exposure image also reveals city lights stretched by the spacecraft’s motion, a sunrise on the horizon, and the ochre hue of hydroxide in Earth’s atmosphere.
View from the window of a Crew Dragon spacecraft showcasing the Milky Way and several Starlink satellites in 2025.
Pettit took this image from the side window of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, which arrived at the ISS carrying two astronauts and two empty seats for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, participants in Boeing’s ill-fated Starliner capsule test mission. Starlink satellites, launched by Elon Musk’s company, also glow in the photo’s center.
Thunderstorms, city lights, and star trails as seen from the ISS in 2012.
Two Russian Soyuz spacecraft framed by star trails and city lights in the background.
Known for his expertise with long exposures, Pettit previously captured the relative motion of stars in images like this one.
The Canadarm robotic arm of the ISS with the Iberian Peninsula visible below.
His portfolio includes spectacular panoramas, such as a striking view of the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Infrared image capturing the Ganges River in India.
Infrared view of an erupting volcano in Patagonia.
Equipped with advanced tools, Pettit switches to the infrared spectrum when needed, capturing images like these of the Ganges River in India and a volcano in Patagonia.
Comet Atlas C2024-G3 passing near Earth just days ago.
Pettit also photographed comet Atlas C2024-G3 as it passed Earth, brightly illuminated by the sun ahead of its perigee.
Pettit rang in 2025 aboard the ISS with this stunning view of the Northern Lights.
The veteran astronaut didn’t miss the intense solar activity on New Year’s Day, sharing breathtaking photos of auroras as seen from the ISS.
When not taking photos, Pettit uses his free time to experiment with microgravity. He’s created numerous educational videos and, alongside engineer Mark Weislogel, developed a special cup for drinking coffee in space. The invention, which relies on liquid surface tension, earned the duo the first patent created entirely from orbit.
Images | NASA
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