SpaceX rocket snaps amazing views of Earth during Hera asteroid probe launch

The shot, captured during the launch of the European Space Agency's Hera asteroid-inspecting mission, shows a gorgeous blue Earth hanging in space beside the nozzle of the Falcon 9's upper-stage Merlin engine.

Earth looks smaller than it typically does in such launch photos, because it's quite far away from the camera: The upper stage was heading toward interplanetary transfer orbit, where it ended up deploying Hera successfully about 76 minutes after liftoff.

Getting to that orbit took a lot out of the Falcon 9's first stage as well. The booster didn't have enough fuel left over to come back to Earth for a safe landing, so the Hera mission was its 23rd and final flight, tying a SpaceX reuse record.

"Farewell, 1061, and we thank you," John Insprucker, a SpaceX principal integration engineer, said during the launch webcast on Monday, using the booster's numerical designation.