Pictures of Astronauts in Space

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Here are some cool pictures of astronauts in space. You can make any of these images into your computer desktop wallpaper. Just click on an image to enlarge it, and then choose “Set as Desktop Background”.

Backdropped by a Colorful Earth

This picture shows two astronauts, Robert L. Curbeam, Jr. (left) and Christer Fuglesang while conducting an extravehicular activity outside the International Space Station as part of the STS-116 mission. On the background is the Cook Strait in New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean.

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

Here’s an image of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin taken from the moon by Neil Armstrong during the extravehicular activity of the Apollo 11 mission. Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin were the first men to step on the moon.

Backpacking

This image features mission specialist Bruce McCandless II in a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU). MMU allows the astronauts to move freely in space without worrying about the danger of getting far from the spacecraft.

Hanging Out

This picture shows astronaut Michael Gernhardt during the STS-69 mission of the space shuttle Endeavor in 1995 where he was the mission specialist. The STS-69 mission was the second flight of the Wake Shield Facility.

Space Shuttle -- September 1994

Here’s an image of astronaut Mark C. Lee above the clouds during the extravehicular activity of the STS-64 mission in September 1994. STS-64 was a Discovery space shuttle mission that launched the Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) to space.

We have written many articles about astronauts for Universe Today. Here’s an article about the astronaut’s space suit, and here’s an article about famous astronauts.

If you’d like more info on the astronaut missions, check out NASA’s mission page for ISS. And here’s a link to NASA’s human spaceflight page.

We’ve also recorded an episode of Astronomy Cast about Space Suits. Listen here, Episode 121: Space Suits.