“Massachusetts invented America. American ideals were first spoken here, first dreamed about here. Our constitution is the oldest, and one of the most explicit about individual freedoms. Our legislature is the longest continuously operating democratic body on the face of the earth.”
—Governor Deval L. Patrick

(image credit: NASA/ISS Crew Earth Observation, JSC)

Seattle and environs as seen during a brief sun break this morning from the International Space Station, in a sweeping view that takes in Puget Sound at the top, Lake Washington mid-image, and Lake Sammamish near the bottom (image credit: CSA/Commander Chris Hadfield).

The last light of Valentine’s Day glinting off of the Northeastern seaboard of the United States, as seen from the International Space Station. Sunlit water bodies visible in this southward view are Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay, Long Island Sound, and Chesapeake Bay, 250 miles southwest of Long Island (image credit: NASA/Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center).

colchrishadfield:

From here to the horizon to forever - a quick glance out the window of the Space Station.

colchrishadfield:

Spaceships and Earth - foreground is the Soyuz we’ll pilot home in May. Unmanned Progress vehicle in the background.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency  Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide paused to take this self-portrait during Extra Vehicular Activity outside of the International Space Station in August of this year. Visible in the reflection from Hoshide’s visor are the ISS, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, and our planet (image credit: Akihiko Hoshide/NASA/JAXA)

New York City as seen by NASA Astronaut Frank Culbertson on the International Space Station, September 11th, 2001.

 ”It’s horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point. The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are.”—Commander Frank Culbertson, Expedition 3

(image credit: NASA/Frank Culbertson)

ouruniversevisualized:

This unusual image (taken December 29, 2011) was photographed through the Cupola on the International Space Station by one of the Expedition 30 crew members.

The lake just above the bracket-mounted camera at center is Egirdir Golu in Turkey, located at 38.05 degrees north latitude and 30.89 degrees east longitude. A Russian Soyuz spacecraft is docked to the station at lower right and part of the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) can be seen just above it.

credit: NASA

The unmanned Russian Progress 45 cargo ship docked with the International Space Station above northern China this morning, carrying two iPads into space for the first time among its cargo. (image credit: NASA).

Orbital view of the unmanned Russian Progress cargo spacecraft, burning up on reentry high above the Pacific Ocean on Saturday (photo by NASA Astronaut Mike Fossum, Expedition 28/29).

The Midwestern U.S. from the International Space Station, with the Aurora Borealis visible to the north, above the Twin Cities, Chicago, Sioux Falls, St. Louis, and other hot spots. Note the purple lightning flashes of storms to the east of the dark Appalachian mountain chain to the right (image credit: NASA).

The Libyan coast looks peaceful from orbit, as seen from aboard the International Space Station in late summer (photo by NASA Astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27/28).

NASA Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson floats 217 miles above the Earth, in the cupola of the International Space Station. This photo was taken in September of last year (image credit: NASA/Expedition 24).

Orbital view of Russian Soyuz & Progress spacecraft, backlit by aurorae (photo by NASA Astronaut Mike Fossum, Expedition 28/29).