Images and time-lapse videos of Hurricane Milton were snapped from space before it hit Florida.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared the images, which show the hurricane’s development over the days before it hit.
The first image was taken on October 8th from a timelapse video shot by Dominick through the window of the SpaceX Dragon Endeavor. The caption accompanies it, “We flew over Hurrican Milton about 90 minutes ago.”
We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago. Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window. Expect lots of images from this window as this is where I’m sleeping while we wait to undock and return to Earth.
Timelapse coming in a separate post.
1/6400 sec, f8, ISO 500 pic.twitter.com/zkhJdTlag7
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024
Dominick then shared the timelapse video from which the image was taken.
Timelapse this image was taken from: https://t.co/6XOFOlBvHy
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024
The next day, October 9th, Dominick shared a further timelapse video and image, with the accompanying text, “Storm looks bigger but less symmetric than yesterday.”
Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton today about 2 hours ago. Storm looks bigger but less symmetric than yesterday.
1/2000 sec, f8, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/XUjQEJPOGg
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 9, 2024
Dominick traveled to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavor as part of the Crew-8 mission. The mission’s return to Earth, scheduled for this week, has been delayed due to Hurricane Milton and rescheduled for October 13th at the earliest.
Hurricane Milton Delays NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission
NASA also shared images of the category 5 storm, taken on October 8th, on the official ISS X account.
Hurricane #Milton is pictured as a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula from the space station on Oct. 8, 2024. pic.twitter.com/S7Hpe5GFMp
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 9, 2024
The Europa Clipper mission, scheduled for launch on October 10th from the Kennedy Space Center, has been delayed due to the rescheduled weather. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center confirmed on its website and X account yesterday that it is entering HURCON I ahead of the hurricane’s arrival and that it is closed to all except essential personnel.
Kennedy has entered HURCON I ahead of Hurricane #Milton's approach.
The center is now closed, with the exception of essential emergency response personnel and Ride Out Team members.
For more updates, continue to check our Operating Status: https://t.co/MeNApgTt27 pic.twitter.com/1WXmwChwIO
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) October 9, 2024
In an update on October 8th, NASA wrote,
“Hurricane-force winds are expected to arrive early Thursday morning. Rain totals of 8-12 inches are expected through Saturday.”
Hurricane Milton has so far knocked out power for over three million people in the state, with wind gusts of 100mph recorded near Tampa. The roof has also been ripped off St Petersburg’s Tropicana Field ballpark, designated as a shelter for first responders.