A photo taken from from the International Space Station (ISS) of Malta and Sicily by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano and that he posted on his Facebook page.
The Sicilian astronaut and Italian Air Force colonel Parmitano was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the Expedition 60 and 61 to the ISS. The second part of the mission kicked off on July 20, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and saw Parmitano taking the role of space station commander.
Since the ISS’s launch almost 20 years ago, Parmitano is the first Italian and the third European (as he was preceded by Belgian Frank De Winne and German Alexander Gerst) to command the orbiting station.
Photo: Luca Parmitano