ESA Astronaut Alexander Gerst ISS Image: Home with a View

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst tweeted this image from the International Space Station four days after his arrival at the outpost on a Soyuz spacecraft together with NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Roscosmos commander Maxim Suraev. 

His message was simply “Home for six months”.

The image is taken from the Russian part of the Station looking out of a viewport at the Station’s solar wings and the European Cupola observatory module as the Sun sets behind Earth.

Astronauts on the Space Station witness 16 sunsets and sunrises each day as they circle our planet at 28 800 km/h.

Alexander has 100 experiments planned for his Blue Dot mission. Follow his progress and more great images via alexandergerst.esa.int

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst enters the ISS

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst as the hatch opens separating the Soyuz spacecraft and the International Space Station, his new home for six months.

The launch of Expedition 40/41 with Alexander Gerst, NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman and Roscosmos commander Maxim Suraev from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan took place six hours earlier.

Their spacecraft, Soyuz TMA-13M was propelled to the International Space Station at 21:57 CEST. Alexander has 100 experiments planned for his Blue Dot mission.

Credits: Roscosmos/Oleg Artemjev

Expedition 40 Preflight: Soyuz TMA-13M Launcher Rolls Out

The Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft is rolled out to the launch pad by train on Monday, May 26, 2014, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 

Launch of the Soyuz rocket is scheduled for May 29 and will send Expedition 40 Roscosmos commander Maxim Suraev, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky