What astronauts see when they're plummeting back to Earth, in one GIF

[Buster's Uncle]

What astronauts see when they're plummeting back to Earth, in one GIF
Vox.com
By Joseph Stromberg  50 minutes ago






When astronauts return from from the International Space Station, their capsule hits the atmosphere at a speed of more than 500 miles per hour.

When they look out the window, this is what they see:



(NASA)


That GIF comes from a new NASA video on the space station, and was pulled out by Gizmodo's Attila Nagy.

The sparks are the result of the huge amount of heat (roughly 3,000°F) that builds up on the surface of the Soyuz capsule due to friction with the Earth's atmosphere. (The astronauts are protected from all this heat by a heat shield that faces the Earth as the capsule descends)



A rendering of the Soyuz capsule's descent. (European Space Agency)


Soon afterward, a series of parachutes and landing engines deploy, slowing the craft down to a speed of about three miles per hour by the time it lands on the steppes of Kazakhstan.


http://news.yahoo.com/astronauts-see-theyre-plummeting-back-184002062.html

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Note the two .gifs...