November was an Amazing Month for Space Exploration!

Credit: European Space Agency - ESA

In the above photo taken on October 7th, the Philae lander of the Rosetta Mission took this self portrait of the side of the Rosetta spacecraft and one of Rosetta's solar arrays.  The Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is just 10 miles in the background.  Philae descended to the comet's surface on November 12th.  Rosetta is the first mission in history to rendezvous with a comet, escort it as it goes around the Sun and deploy a lander to its surface.

View of the Comet on November 20.  Credit: European Space Agency - ESA

And there was the successful launch of three new crew members to the International Space Station on November 23rd:

Spacewalking in October!

Photo Credit: NASA

This photo shows astronaut Reid Wiseman taking a spacewalk on October 7th. His spacewalking companion, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, took this shot.  They were relocating and installing some equipment on the outside of the International Space Station.

And if you missed the launch and docking of three new crew members to the International Space Station a few weeks ago, check out these videos of the launch and docking:

Looking at Our Beautiful Planet Through the Cupola of the International Space Station

Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst enjoys the view of Earth from the windows of the cupola of the International Space Station.  Gerst, from Germany, is a new resident on the Station and this photo was downloaded from NASA's site where it first appeared on June 13, 2014.  Photo Credit: NASA

This photo, now one of the world's most famous photos, shows astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson looking through the cupola of the International Space Station on November 15, 2010.  Photo Credit: Expedition 24 Crew/NASA  

Traveling Up to the International Space Station!

Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The Soyuz TMA-13M rocket launches with Expedition 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev of the Russian Space Agency ROSCOSMOS, and astronauts Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency and Reid Wiseman of NASA.  The video below shows the launch .

 See NASA photos of pre launch activities and launch on

"Expedition 40 Flickr Gallery"

How the Most Famous Photo of Earth was the Result of Serendipity

"Earthrise" Taken in December 1968 during the Apollo 8 Mission. Credit: Apollo 8, NASA

The famous photo above was not part of a planned photography session and it came about by sheer luck and coincidence. The video below explains the fascinating circumstances around how "Earthrise" was taken.

     

Three New Crew Members Launch to the International Space Station

Expedition 39/40 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov & Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Flight Engineer Steven Swanson of NASA launch on the Russian Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft on March 25th from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Flickr Set of Photos of Launch Preparation & Launch