Astronomy Picture of the Day · February 15, 2026

To Fly Free in Space

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for February 15, 2026 is “To Fly Free in Space,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: NASA , STS-41B. The original explanation runs about 133 words.

An astronaut is seen hovering over the Earth. In the top part of the image, the astronaut is seen against the darkness of space. In the lower part of the image, the Earth is bright blue with white clouds. Please see the explanation for more — Credit: Image Credit: NASA , STS-41B Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What would it be like to fly free in space? About 100 meters from the cargo bay of a space shuttle , Bruce McCandless II was living the dream — floating farther out than anyone had ever been before.”

— APOD editors, February 15, 2026

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: February 15, 2026
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit: NASA , STS-41B
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 133 words

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, February 15, 2026 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2026-february-15-to-fly-free-in-space

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.