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A discussion below this answer to Did anybody on the ISS photograph this partial eclipse? How long did it last? How did they safely photograph it? has me wondering if astronauts can ever see "up" i.e. space in the zenith-facing hemisphere easily. There are rumors (see below) of a "zenith-facing" window that may actually function as a "zenith-viewing" window but I don't feel the topic has been fully resolved.

But here I am asking about the windows of space capsules docked to something in space.

Question: Has an astronaut ever gone into a docked capsule to take a photo out one of its windows? Note that the Russian astronauts are also prolific photographers and social media posters!

Related to "zenith-facing", "zenith-viewing" and the visibility of the whole hemisphere above the ISS that the cupola can't usually see:

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  • $\begingroup$ @OrganicMarble hmm... Capsules are generally unoccupied, out-of-the-way places such that it would be notable that someone would enter one to look out the window and snap a photo. Once in space shuttles are generally occupied except for short periods for group photos, and so it's less remarkable that someone would use the opportunity to take advantage of its windows. That said, I'm absolutely loath to prevent an interesting answer from being posted. I'm at a loss how to respond. Capsules or generally unoccupied docked craft are preferred. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Apr 3, 2021 at 4:44
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    $\begingroup$ "Capsules are generally unoccupied" – Actually, I believe Resilience is used as living quarters for Mike Hopkins because there are only six sleeping quarters on the ISS but seven crew (and probably even ten at the end of next week). So, I would think it is highly likely that Mike Hopkins has taken a photo out of Resilience's windows from inside Resilience, however, the question is then whether he entered Resilience to take the photo, or whether he entered Resilience for another reason and used that opportunity to take a photo. $\endgroup$
    – Jörg W Mittag
    Apr 4, 2021 at 10:00
  • $\begingroup$ @JörgWMittag wow, thanks! Yes that is indeed the question as asked. I'm wondering specifically if someone went into a capsule in order to "look up" zenithwards/anti-cupolawards to take a photo, but I'll go along with going there to photo out a window in any direction. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Apr 4, 2021 at 10:55
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    $\begingroup$ Are you asking specifically for ISS astronauts? $\endgroup$
    – Star Man
    Apr 13, 2021 at 2:23
  • $\begingroup$ @StarMan that's what occurred to me first, but this is a hard question. So as long as they went into a docked capsule etc. it would not have to be coming from the ISS. I'll delete that now, thanks! $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Apr 13, 2021 at 6:17

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While this scenario isn't exactly what you're asking for, I still think it's worth it to post it as an answer.

The photograph below is of STS-74 when it was docked with Mir. Instead of a photographer going out of their own way and entering another spacecraft to take a photograph, astronauts went out of their way into another spacecraft, so another astronaut can take a photograph of them. This is explained in Chris Hadfield's wire interview. According to Chris Hadfield, when the time was just right and the sun was in the correct angle, everyone went into Atlantis from Mir so the cosmonauts on-board Mir could take the photo.

enter image description here

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This was so trivial to answer that I considered downvoting it for lack of research, but I'm interested in answering ISS questions right now, and I normally upvote questions that I answer.

Searching on images.nasa.gov for "soyuz window" returns many hits, here is one.

View of antenna and solar arrays (with an Earth limb in the background) taken from a window in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft currently docked to the International Space Station. Photo taken by an Expedition 36 crewmember.

View of antenna and solar arrays (with an Earth limb in the background) taken from a window in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft currently docked to the International Space Station. Photo taken by an Expedition 36 crewmember. Per Twitter message: View out the window to the right of my seat in Soyuz while docked to ISS.

https://images.nasa.gov/details-iss036e038313

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  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, did the photographer go in to the docked capsule for the purpose of taking the photograph? "This was so trivial to answer..." I'm not sure that the question is so trivial as written that an image search finds answers easily. After docking, the photo could have been taken before the air lock opened and the capsule crew joined the ISS crew. "Has an ISS astronaut ever gone into a docked capsule to take a photo out one of its windows?" "my seat in Soyuz" suggests they might have just arrived. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Apr 3, 2021 at 4:46
  • $\begingroup$ I've added a bounty, please feel free to partake! $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Apr 13, 2021 at 0:55

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