US astronaut Nichole Ayers snapped an astounding photo of a red sprite lighting up the sky above Earth. This remarkable shot was taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it passed over Mexico and the US on July 3, with Ayers expressing her awe by posting: “Just. Wow. As we went over Mexico and the US this morning, I caught this sprite.”
Explaining the occurrence, she said: “Sprites are TLEs or Transient Luminous Events, that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below.”
She also highlighted the usefulness of such captures for scientific research: “We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms.”
Ayers’ shot depicts red sprites, a type of large-scale electrical discharge taking place above storms and spotted in the mesosphere, between 50 and 90 kilometres altitude.
Before joining NASA, Ayers honed her flying skills through several key assignments including adversary flight training at Langley Air Force Base where she also became a flight instructor, enhancing F-22 Raptor squadron capabilities.
Her prowess continued to shine as she tallied up over 200 flight hours during Operation Inherent Resolve and served as the assistant director of operations of the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base prior to her astronaut candidacy selection.
On December 6, 2021, Nichole Ayers was unveiled as one of the ten candidates chosen for NASA’s Astronaut Group 23.
In August 2024, Ayers was assigned her first spaceflight mission. On March 14, 2025, she embarked on a journey to the International Space Station as the pilot of the SpaceX Crew-10 mission.
She is set to stay on the station for six months as part of the crew of Expedition 72 and 73. The Crew-10 is slated to return to Earth in July 2025.
In a surprise ceremony held aboard the International Space Station in April 2025, Ayers was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.