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What does it look like @Space station when your best friend realizes her dream of always going into space. Took the second step in progress! We are looking forward to welcoming you on board, crew members of the Soyuz 61! pic.twitter.com/Ws7tInY58P
– Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) September 25, 2019
The photo shows plumes of curling smoke from the first-floor takeoff and another mini-plume from the second-floor path. The second-stage engine of the spacecraft is clearly visible as a bright spot, with illuminated smoke rays extending from the center. The boat is surrounded by a steam ring, probably also created by the second-floor engine.
Koch did not specify which camera she had used, but it's probably the station's workhorse, Nikon D4, which she was photographed with before. Koch is a passionate photographer and he wisely stopped the photo to properly capture the rocket plume and its atmosphere in the night sky. Due to the reduced exposure level, no star is visible, but they appear when you restart it in Lightroom.
Soyuz 61 wore Meir, cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and the first space traveler in the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. Meir and Skripochka will spend six months aboard the ISS, but Almansoori will only spend eight days there as part of an intergovernmental contract between the United Arab Emirates and Roscosmos. He will return to Earth on October 3 aboard the same Soyuz ship with Nick Hague, resident of the ISS, and the station's commander, Alexey Ovchinin.
Koch, meanwhile, will remain on board the ISS until February 2020, making him the longest serving astronaut aboard the ISS. Fortunately, she will have company – shortly after taking the picture, Koch has to kiss his best friend (below).
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