Veteran astronaut Don Pettit returned after a 220-day ISS mission in April 2025 and posted a striking October 20, 2024 photo of a passenger jet taken from orbit. A moderator on r/aviation removed the post as "blurry," citing subreddit rules, which sparked a backlash. Another moderator apologized and defended the image, calling it impressive given the roughly 250-mile distance. Reddit users largely praised the photo and criticized the takedown.
Reddit Moderator Removes Stunning ISS Photo by Astronaut Don Pettit As 'Blurry' — Community Pushes Back
A moderator at the r/aviation subreddit didn't look too kindly on a shot by astronaut Don Pettit, deeming it too "blurry" and taking it down.
Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth in April 2025 after a 220-day mission aboard the International Space Station, landing on his 70th birthday and remaining the oldest active astronaut on NASA’s roster. During that fourth trip to space he photographed many striking views of Earth from orbit.
On October 20, 2024, Pettit captured a striking image of a passenger jet flying at cruising altitude hundreds of miles below the station — likely around 7.5 miles above the ground while the ISS orbited roughly 250 miles overhead. The photo, posted to Reddit, offered a perspective only a handful of people ever see.
Removal, Apology, And Backlash
Shortly after Pettit shared the image on the r/aviation subreddit, a moderator removed the post, saying it violated the community rule that "all blurry or low quality pictures are removed." A screenshot of the takedown note circulated online and prompted widespread discussion.
A moderator at the r/aviation subreddit didn't look too kindly on a shot by astronaut Don Pettit, deeming it too "blurry" and taking it down.
"We brought some new people onto the mod team and unfortunately there are some learning curves," a moderator wrote in an apology after the backlash, adding, "I caught the issue and fixed it." In a separate message addressed to Pettit the moderator added, "I’d say the quality of the picture is pretty dang good considering that it’s from about 250 miles away."
Reaction From Redditors
Most Reddit users praised the photograph and mocked the removal. Comments ranged from playful amazement — "Can’t believe I got flexed by someone on ISS" — to pointed criticism of the moderation: "Dear mods, please show NASA how to take better pictures from space so you don’t have to delete them." One user highlighted the enormous speed difference between the two craft: the ISS travels at roughly 17,100 mph over the ground while typical passenger jets cruise around 500–700 mph.
Pettit’s Other Work
Pettit’s Reddit submissions include numerous other notable images from the station: atmospheric distortion that visually compresses the Moon, dramatic views of the Milky Way over Earth at night, and long-exposure photos showing the reflective trails of SpaceX Starlink satellites. Those posts further convinced many observers that the removed airplane photo was deserving of publication, not deletion.
What This Says About Moderation
The incident underscored how community moderation guidelines — especially in niche subreddits — can sometimes be applied too literally or without sufficient context. In this case, the image’s provenance (an experienced astronaut photographing from orbit) and the technical challenge of capturing a jet from ~250 miles away led many users to view the removal as a clear misjudgment. The mod team’s subsequent apology helped defuse tensions, but the exchange highlights the occasional friction between rule enforcement and public appreciation.
Bottom line: A remarkable space-shot by a veteran astronaut was briefly removed as "blurry," prompting a public apology from moderators and a strong wave of praise from the Reddit community.
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