Earth Views from Cupola | ESA Ignis Mission | International Space Station

Earth Views from Cupola | ESA Ignis Mission | International Space Station

This beautiful view of Earth was captured by the European Space Agency (ESA) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski during the Ignis Mission at the International Space Station.

The Cupola is a panoramic control tower for the International Space Station, a dome-shaped module with windows through which operations on the outside of the station can be observed and guided. It is a pressurized observation and work area that accommodates command and control workstations and other hardware. Through the robotics workstation, astronauts control the station’s robotic arm. This helps with the attachment and assembly of station elements much like the operator of a building crane perched in a control cabin. Crew members in the Cupola can communicate with other crew members in another part of the station or outside during spacewalk activities. Spacewalks can be observed from the Cupola along with visiting spacecraft and external areas of the station with the Cupola offering a viewing spectrum of 360 degrees.

Sławosz was launched to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of Axiom Mission 4 on June 25, 2025. The 20-day mission, known as Ignis, saw him conduct 13 experiments proposed by Polish companies and institutions in collaboration with ESA, along with three additional ESA-led experiments. These covered a broad range of fields including human research, materials science, biology, biotechnology and technology demonstrations.

Axiom Mission 4 marks the second commercial human spaceflight involving an ESA project astronaut. Ignis was sponsored by the Polish government and supported by ESA, the Polish Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (MRiT), and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA).

Ignis Mission:
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/ignis

Learn more about the Ax-4 Mission: 
https://www.axiomspace.com/missions/ax4

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
Duration: 1 minute, 33 seconds
Release Date: July 29, 2025

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