Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have witnessed a Russian cargo ship burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere, Space reports.
The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo spacecraft lifted off from the ISS on November 29, carrying old equipment and household waste that is no longer needed on the station.
Only 4 hours after Progress MS-23 undocked, NASA astronaut Jasmine Mogbeli was able to see the spacecraft returning to Earth and take photos of its combustion in the Earth’s atmosphere.
“It happened faster than I thought it would, and it was only visible for 2-3 minutes. It reminded me of fireworks, especially when it broke apart.”
Jasmine Mogbeli
Most of the Progress MS-23 and its cargo burned up high above the Earth, while the rest of the spacecraft fell into the Pacific Ocean.