Backdropped by New Zealand and the Cook Strait in the Pacific Ocean, astronauts Robert L. Curbeam Jr. (left) and Christer Fuglesang (right) participate in an extravehicular activity (EVA).
- The International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth for 21 years this week.
- Astronauts have taken millions of pictures of their breathtaking views from space: everything from calm Caribbean waters to sprawling city lights to volcanic eruptions.
- Here are the 27 best photos ever taken from the ISS.
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As of this week, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth for 21 years, and the astronauts on board have been taking breathtaking photos for almost as long.
The first module of the space station launched into orbit on November 20, 1998, and the first crew of astronauts arrived two years later. Humans have lived onboard the ISS continuously in the 13 years since - the longest-lasting human presence in space.
In that time, they've taken millions of photos. The views can sometimes be hard to believe.
"How can something so beautiful be tolerated by human eyes?" NASA astronaut Mike Massimino explained to the Washington Post.
Here are the best photos ever taken from the space station.