Expedition 69 Space Station Passes Over Hurricane Idalia

On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at 11:35 a.m. EDT, external cameras on the International Space Station captured mesmerizing images of a growing Hurricane Idalia. The station, orbiting 260 miles above, offered a unique vantage point. At the time of the flyover, Idalia was situated in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, southwest of Florida, classified as a Category 1 hurricane with wind speeds of 85 miles per hour. It was on a northward trajectory, expected to make landfall around Florida's Big Bend area on August 30 as a Category 3 hurricane or potentially stronger. The impending storm posed a significant threat, potentially generating a life-threatening storm surge, as per the National Hurricane Center