Earth Orbit Collection

International Space Station, 2008
International Space Station (ISS), February 2008, taken from the Space Shuttle Atlantis after undocking took place towards the end of the Shuttles mission to the ISS

Alexei Leonov, first space walk, 1965
First space walk. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (born 1934), outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft in a spacesuit on 18 March 1965, while orbiting the Earth (in the background)

Gemini 7 in orbit, seen from the Gemini 6A spacecraft during rendezvous manouvres. These two spacecraft launched separately, Gemini 7 on 4 December 1965, and Gemini 6A on 15 December 1965

Sputnik 1 stamp. Artwork of Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, on a stamp issued by the communist government of the former Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4th, 1957

Orbit of Sputnik 1, Soviet 1957 diagram
Orbit of Sputnik 1. Diagram showing the Earth orbits possible for different spacecrafts. Sputnik 1, the first spacecraft ever to reach Earth orbit, was launched on 4 October 1957 by the Soviet Union

Delta mission to the ISS, artwork
Delta mission to the International Space Station (ISS) over the Netherlands, artwork. This mission (April 2004) included Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers and a variety of European science experiments

Sputnik 1 postcard. Artwork of Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, on a postcard issued by the communist government of the former Soviet Union

Vostok 1 Soviet spacecraft
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

ISS and the Moon C013 / 5148
ISS and the Moon. The International Space Station (ISS, upper left) is orbiting the Earth here at an altitude of around 390 kilometres

Explorer 1 in orbit
Explorer 1. Computer artwork of Americas first successful artificial satellite, Explorer 1, in orbit. Explorer 1 was launched on 31 January 1958

Manned maneuvring unit space walk, 1984. Astronaut Bruce McCandless floats free above the Earth in his manned manoeuvring unit (MMU) on 7th February 1984

Vostok rocket, Moscow, Russia
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

Italy at night, ISS image
Italy at night. International Space Station (ISS) image of Italy (centre) and the Adriatic coast (right) at night. The island of Sicily is at centre left

Sputnik 1 rocket track. Long exposure photograph of the night sky showing the track of the rocket that carried Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite

Explorer 1 in orbit, artwork
Explorer 1 in orbit. Computer artwork of Americas first successful artificial satellite, Explorer 1, in orbit over Earth. Explorer 1 was launched on 31 January 1958

Hubble Space Telescope in orbit, artwork
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in orbit over the Earth, artwork. The HST is an astronomical satellite in orbit around Earth

International Space Station, 2010
International Space Station (ISS), February 2010, taken from the Space Shuttle Endeavour prior to docking at the beginning of its mission to the ISS

Progress supply vessel approaching ISS
Progress supply vehicle approaching the International Space Station. This unmanned vehicle launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on 28th February 2005, carrying two tons of food, water

SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS C016 / 4214
SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS. View from the International Space Station (ISS) of the Dragon cargo capsule from SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies)

Mir space station cosmonauts, 1987
Mir space station cosmonauts. Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Romanenko and Aleksandr Laveykin assembling an electrical power pack on the Mir space station, in 1987

ATV boosting the ISS, artwork
Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV, lower left) boosting the International Space Station (ISS), artwork. An ATV is an unmanned resupply vehicle used by the European Space Agency to supply

Orbiting Carbon Observatory, artwork
Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) in Earth orbit, artwork. A NASA mission, the OCO was designed to make global measurements of levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide

Sputnik 1 satellite, composite image
Sputnik 1. Composite image of Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite against a backdrop of the Moon above Earths horizon. The Sun and the Earth are reflected on the satellites surface

James Webb Space Telescope, artwork
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), artwork. This is an infrared telescope that is scheduled to be launched in 2014. It will have a 6.5-metre-diameter mirror (yellow)

Saturn V interstage separation, artwork. The ring falling back to Earth is an interstage that has just separated from the rockets second stage (stage II engines at top)

Sputnik 3 in orbit, 1958 C016 / 6375
Sputnik 3 in orbit, artwork. This small unmanned conical spacecraft carried scientific instruments to study the upper atmosphere, cosmic rays, and the Earths magnetic field

ISS crossing the Moon C013 / 5150
ISS crossing the Moon, time-lapse image. The International Space Station (ISS; upper left, lower right, and crossing the Moon) is orbiting the Earth here at an altitude of around 390 kilometres

ISS and the Moon C013 / 5149
ISS and the Moon. The International Space Station (ISS, upper left) is orbiting the Earth here at an altitude of around 390 kilometres

Soviet space walk stamp, 1967
Soviet space walk stamp. 1967 postage stamp, published in the USSR to commemorate the worlds first space walk. The stamp artwork shows Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (born 1934)

International Space Station, artwork C018 / 3554
International Space Station (ISS), artwork. The ISS, built in stages since 1998, is a collaborative project between the national space agencies of the USA, Canada, Japan, Russia and Europe

Orbital space weapons, artwork
Orbital space weapons. Artwork of a ground-based mid-course space missile defence system from around 2000. Projects such as the Strategic Defense Initiative were designed to defend the USA against

Astronauts fighting, artwork
Astronauts fighting. Artwork of two astronauts arguing and fighting while in a space station or space vessel. Astronauts are required to undergo psychological testing to minimise the chance of

SpaceLiner transport, artwork C016 / 6384
SpaceLiner transport. Artwork of the suborbital, hypersonic passenger transport being studied by the SART (Space Launcher Systems Analysis) group at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)

Salyut 7 space station in orbit, 1980s C016 / 6372
Salyut 7 space station in orbit. This Soviet space station was in orbit for nearly nine years from its launch on 19 April 1982

New Mexico, USA C016 / 6357
New Mexico, USA, from Earth orbit. North is towards upper right. At lower right is White Sands National Monument (white), with the Carrizozo Malpais lava flow (dark)

SpaceLiner transport, artwork C016 / 6385
SpaceLiner transport. Artwork of the suborbital, hypersonic passenger transport being studied by the SART (Space Launcher Systems Analysis) group at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR)

Sputnik 3 in orbit, 1958 C016 / 6374
Sputnik 3 in orbit, artwork. This small unmanned conical spacecraft carried scientific instruments to study the upper atmosphere, cosmic rays, and the Earths magnetic field

International Space Station, artwork C018 / 3555
International Space Station (ISS), artwork. The ISS, built in stages since 1998, is a collaborative project between the national space agencies of the USA, Canada, Japan, Russia and Europe

Radiation belt storm probes, artwork C014 / 0368
Radiation belt storm probes, artwork. These two satellites will orbit the Earth studying the Van Allen radiation belt, a torus of ionised particles that surrounds the Earth

Astronaut Dale A. Gardner holding a For Sale sign during extravehicular activity (EVA). Gardner was an astronaut aboard the Space Shuttles STS-51A mission. Astronaut Joseph P

ISS construction, October 2007
ISS construction. Astronaut Daniel Tani performing extravehicular activity (EVA) in space to help construct the International Space Station. Photographed on the 28th October 2007

Hubble Telescope service mission, 2009. Astronauts John Grunsfeld (left) and Andrew Feustel conduct a seven hour spacewalk to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope

Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit, artwork
Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit. Artwork of a Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft at sunset over the Atlantic Ocean at an orbital altitude of 320 kilometres

SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS C016 / 4215
SpaceX Dragon capsule at the ISS. View from the International Space Station (ISS) of the Dragon cargo capsule from SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies)

ISS Expedition 32 crew, August 2012 C016 / 4208
ISS Expedition 32 crew. Astronauts and cosmonauts inside the Kibo laboratory module of the International Space Station (ISS)

Astronaut exercising on the ISS C016 / 4207
Astronaut exercising on the ISS. NASA astronaut Sunita Williams (born 1965) exercising in a bungee harness on the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill (COLBERT)

Astronaut plant experiment on the ISS C016 / 4206
Astronaut plant experiment on the ISS. Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov (born 1973), Expedition 28 flight engineer, checking the progress of a plant experiment on the International Space Station (ISS)

Astronaut chess game on the ISS C016 / 4205
Astronaut chess game on the ISS. NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff (born 1962) playing a game of chess in the Harmony node of the International Space Station (ISS)

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"Exploring the Vastness of Space: A Journey into Earth's Orbit" In 1957, the world watched in awe as Sputnik 1 became the first artificial satellite to orbit our planet. This historic moment marked the beginning of mankind's venture beyond Earth's boundaries. Fast forward to 1965 when Alexei Leonov took humanity's first steps outside a spacecraft during his groundbreaking spacewalk. As technology advanced, so did our understanding of space travel. Gemini 7 gracefully floated in orbit, paving the way for future missions like Delta's journey to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2008. The ISS has become a symbol of international collaboration and scientific exploration. The beauty of these endeavors is captured through various mediums - from stamps commemorating Sputnik 1 to postcards showcasing its iconic image. Diagrams illustrating Sputnik 1's orbit remind us of how far we've come since that fateful day in Soviet Russia. Vostok rockets launched brave astronauts like Yuri Gagarin aboard Vostok 1, who became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961. Their courage and determination continue to inspire generations today. Spacewalks have also played a crucial role in expanding our knowledge about life beyond our atmosphere. In an unforgettable moment from1984, a manned maneuvering unit allowed astronauts to float freely amidst the vastness of space. From high above, images taken by astronauts on board ISS show breathtaking views such as Italy at night or even capturing both ISS and Moon together – reminding us just how small we are within this grand universe. Earth’s orbit represents not only technological achievements but also serves as a reminder that there is still much more left unexplored out there – beckoning us with endless possibilities for discovery and wonderment.