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Spacewalk Selfie! NASA Astronaut Shares Self-Portrait

NASA's Rick Mastracchio snaps a self-portrait during a spacewalk at the International Space Station, and then shares the world's highest selfie.
Image: NASA Astronaut Rick Mastracchio takes a selfie during an EVA on the ISS.
NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio takes a selfie outside the International Space Station during Wednesday's spacewalk.Rick Mastracchio / NASA

During Wednesday's fast-track spacewalk, NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio complained that his arms were too short to take a selfie. But that didn't stop him from trying, or from sharing the results.

"The spacesuit makes it very difficult to get a good selfie. I tried several today," Mastracchio tweeted hours after he and a crewmate, Steve Swanson, replaced a bad backup computer box on the International Space Station.

Taking a space selfie was a toughie indeed, not only because Mastracchio was wearing a bulky spacesuit but also because he was in the space station's shadow, silhouetted against that bright blue planet in the background. But all things considered, Mastracchio's selfie is probably worth keeping in the photo album, along with his other shots.

Image: Steve Swanson
NASA astronaut Steve Swanson faces the camera during Wednesday's spacewalk, with the International Space Station's Japanese Kibo laboratory in the background.Rick Mastracchio / NASA
Image: SpaceX Dragon
NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio captured this picture of the SpaceX Dragon cargo ship docked to the space station's Harmony module during Wednesday's spacewalk.Rick Mastracchio / NASA