Astronauts on the International Space Station saw “fireworks” in space as a cargo ship burned

the Astronauts And Astronauts On-board International Space Station A light show was treated to space on Wednesday after Russian advance MS-23 burned up upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The cargo ship has been separated International Space Station Only four hours before the return flight space Reports.

This return flight was less a homecoming than a fiery farewell, which is standard procedure for all non-reusable cargo ships after leaving the International Space Station. Once these ships have delivered their cargo and docking space is needed for the next delivery, the ships are sent back into the atmosphere where they are eliminated by reentry.

Astronauts use the ships like expensive trash cans to load them with things they no longer need. Most of them will burn up as they land, although some may end up landing in the Pacific Ocean. for every space:

On Wednesday (November 29), the Russian Progress MS-23 cargo spacecraft was launched from… International Space Station (ISS) with a payload of waste no longer needed at the orbital site. Specifically, the spacecraft was carrying “old equipment and household waste, or whatever experts decided to throw out of the station,” said Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko. Tell Russian media TASS.

Three types of vehicles are currently used to deliver cargo to the ISS, which routinely carry a few tons of cargo, including food, fuel and other supplies. The vehicles used are the Russian Progress capsules, the American Cygnus capsules (manufactured by Northrop Grumman) and the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The latter is the only one that has not been jettisoned into the atmosphere because it is designed to be reusable, and to descend safely to Earth after supplies run out.

Other ships have a one-way ticket to space, and their journey culminates in a fiery blaze of glory, discovered by a NASA astronaut. Yasmine Moqbeli Captured on camera and posted on Twitter (also known as X):

Mogbeli compared the MS-23’s two- to three-minute burn to “fireworks,” adding that the comparison especially applies when a cargo ship is dismantled, leaving behind lines of burning debris. Astronauts will likely get another light show soon, as the Progress ship is scheduled to arrive on Friday, December 1. Once the cargo is delivered aboard, it will burn up and wave goodbye to the International Space Station.