Hurricane Milton: A Close-Up from Space

Astronaut Matthew Dominick has provided stunning imagery of Hurricane Milton from a unique vantage point aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endeavour, currently docked to the International Space Station (ISS), space.com reported. In striking timelapse footage shared on X (formerly Twitter), Dominick captures the storm through the window of the Endeavour. The rugged Category 4 hurricane, churning towards Florida, poses serious challenges, affecting not only ground activities but also the planned return of the Crew-8 mission.

Initially scheduled for splashdown on October 7, the mission's return has been postponed due to the storm, which is now expected to land as a Category 3 system near Tampa and St. Petersburg by Wednesday, October 9. This powerful weather system has already delayed NASA's $5 billion Europa Clipper launch, set to occur at Kennedy Space Center, pending a new date after Milton abates.

Simultaneously, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been actively studying Hurricane Milton by flying through it to predict its trajectory and impact more accurately. Still recovering from the previous Hurricane Helene, Florida residents brace themselves for the impending storm's effects. While Endeavour remains in space, another Crew Dragon spacecraft, Freedom, also docked at the ISS, shares in the remarkable views of Earth below and the formidable natural forces unfolding.

Earlier, SSP wrote about how do we see pictures in our brain.