Key Takeaways
- Pettit currently aboard ISS on his fourth spaceflight
- NASA astronaut Donald Pettit photographs Makkah from space
- Kaaba appears as bright central point in night-time image
HOUSTON — NASA astronaut Donald R. Pettit has captured a remarkable nighttime image of Makkah city from the International Space Station with the Kaaba. The photograph, taken from approximately 250 miles above Earth.
Astronaut Donald Pettit, currently serving as a flight engineer aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 71/72, utilized specialized photography equipment to capture the detailed image during a night pass over Saudi Arabia.
Pettit, known for his scientific photography from space, has previously documented cities, natural phenomena, and experimental procedures throughout his 590-day career in orbit.
Selected by NASA in 1996, Pettit holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and previously worked as a staff scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
His current mission, launched September 11, 2024, focuses on advancing in-orbit manufacturing, water sanitization, and microgravity fire research—all critical technologies for future deep-space exploration.