Astronomy Picture of the Day: Earth as seen from X-37B!

 

#NASA, #Space, #astronomy, #διάστημα

Black Hole

From high above the planet, an onboard camera aboard the X-37B—normally used to check the vehicle’s health—caught this view of Earth in 2024 while the spaceplane ran experiments in highly elliptical orbit. To shift that orbit with almost no propellant, the X-37B then performed a series of first-of-their-kind aerobraking maneuvers, dipping into the upper atmosphere and using drag to slow and reshape its path. Credit: U.S. Space Force courtesy photo, Master Sgt. Gustavo Castillo