How a NASA Astronaut Captured a Unique Photo of the Milky Way from the ISS

NASA astronaut Don Pettit has revealed the secret behind capturing one of the most impressive photos of the Milky Way from aboard the International Space Station. According to ixbt.com, the specialist used a special mechanism that helps balance the movement of stars during space flight. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

As known, the International Space Station orbits Earth at a speed of approximately 17,000 mph, constantly changing its position relative to our planet. Therefore, during long exposure in outer space, stars turn into arc-like streaks in regular photos. To overcome this difficulty, Don Pettit decided to adapt the principle of star trackers used on Earth to space conditions.

The Special Mechanism and Its Structure

To bring the astronaut's idea to life, a special mounting device was manufactured at the Rochester Institute of Technology. This device operated without any electronics, solely with the help of gears and a spring-loaded mechanism.

This device rotated in the opposite direction of the station's orbital motion with a period of approximately 90 minutes. This allowed the Nikon Z9 camera and Arri Zeiss 15 mm lens to capture stars not as blurred streaks, but as sharp points.

The Historic Frame and Its Future

Once the space exposure was completed, this unique mechanism was returned to Earth. Considering its value, experts plan to display it in a university museum for the general public in the future.

This photo once again proved how important modern technologies and engineering solutions are in space exploration. Achieved with simple mechanical details, this result remains one of the most interesting achievements in the history of astrophotography.