Portraits of a planet: Earth from space

For centuries, we could glimpse the curvature of Earth from mountain peaks but the only way to ‘see’ our planet whole was through globes and maps. Then our world view changed. Not long after the end of World War II, scientists began experimenting with captured German V-2 rockets. They replaced the V-2 warheads with cameras and launched the rockets into near-Earth orbit, capturing the first images of Earth from space. These became the first in a series of iconic portraits that changed our relationship wit