Tremendous Tokyo

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is spending six months on the International Space Station as part of his second mission Alpha. In his free time, like many astronauts, he enjoys looking out of the Cupola windows at Earth. This collage of Toyko, Japan is made from around 70 pictures taken on 10 August 2021 from 00:49 GMT mapped together, digitally rotated and assembled into one large image.

Thomas shared this image on social media at the start of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo with the caption: "Tokyo in the spotlight again – this time for the Paralympics! Today marks the start of two weeks of elite competition for athletes who have overcome adversity to take on the world's best. Endurance, perseverance, adaptability, training – this is when it counts. To me, it's a bit like when the rocket launches, and you're on your way to space. No open flames allowed up here, but the torch did make the trip. Good luck to all the Paralympic athletes. We'll be cheering you on. #WeThe15"

The International Space Station flies at roughly 400 km altitude so Thomas uses the longest lenses available onboard.