Astronauts Captured America’s 250th Birthday Fireworks From Space

Image Courtesy: NASA

Americans celebrating the nation’s 250th Independence Day weren’t the only ones with a front-row seat to the festivities. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) watched fireworks illuminate Southern California from orbit, capturing a striking view of Los Angeles glowing beneath them.

NASA shared a 15-second video recorded as the ISS passed over Los Angeles on July 4, showing hundreds of fireworks displays sparkling across the city. From more than 250 miles above Earth, the bursts of light resembled camera flashes rippling across the landscape, offering a unique perspective on the nationwide celebrations.

“The International Space Station orbited over Los Angeles on July 4th as America marked 250 years of independence with a burst of fireworks lighting up the city below, a celebration so bright it reached all the way to space!” NASA wrote in a post on the ISS X account on July 6.

The International Space Station orbited over Los Angeles on July 4th as America marked 250 years of independence with a burst of fireworks lighting up the city below — a celebration so bright it reached all the way to space! pic.twitter.com/SMCXTFYRjD

— International Space Station (@Space_Station) July 6, 2026

Seven astronauts are currently living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory as part of Expedition 74. The crew includes NASA astronauts Jack Hathaway, Jessica Meir, and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonauts Andrey Fedyaev, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and Sergei Mikaev. Kud-Sverchkov serves as the mission commander.

NASA has been commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary through a variety of initiatives beyond the holiday weekend. Earlier this year, the agency placed special “America 250” logos on the Space Launch System rocket that launched the Artemis 2 crew on their lunar flyby mission. The four astronauts also wore commemorative mission patches recognizing the historic milestone.

The space agency has also organized aircraft flyovers across the Washington, D.C. area and plans to continue anniversary events throughout the coming months. While fireworks lit up cities across the country, the ISS flyover offered a reminder that even celebrations on Earth can be visible from space, giving astronauts a rare opportunity to witness America’s milestone birthday from one of the most extraordinary viewpoints imaginable.