Hurricane Harvey from the ISS

This image of Hurricane Harvey was taken by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli from the International Space Station orbiting Earth at 400 km altitude.

The hurricane hit mainland USA and caused flooding and damage affecting hundreds of thousands of people. The city of Houston was hit with much of its force including NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the main site for astronauts and the International Space Station. Mission control in Houston remained operational despite the centre being closed from August 28 until 5 September – flight controllers slept on site in makeshift beds as entrance to the facility was difficult due to floods.