Astrophotographer captures stunning photo of the ISS as it passes across the moon - Daily Mail

A stunning image of the International Space Station against a backdrop of the moon has been captured as its astronauts prepared for a spacewalk. .

The orbiting science laboratory had been reorientated to allow astronauts Kate Rubins and Victor Glover to step out and prepare solar arrays for future upgrades. .

The International Space Station is captured on camera in a super-rare photo - as the spacecraft was illuminated for a split-second while passing in front of the moon.

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is pictured during a spacewalk to install solar array modification kits on the space station on Sunday February 28.

The solar panels that usually lie flat at each side of the station were seen shifting at different angles due to the spacewalk, adding to the uniqueness of the photograph. .

British astronaut Tim Peake replied to the post about the image on Twitter to describe it as a 'fantastic shot of my old home'

The ISS has eight solar array wings, each designed to produce a total of 250kW of power and the oldest was launched in 2000, the most recent on 2009 - all by the now defunct space shuttles

The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth

The US space agency, Nasa, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, a level of funding that is endorsed by the Trump administration and Congress