Gallery: The Best View of the Olympics Is From Space
Photos by NASA01ISS038-E-042992
This shot of the coastal Olympic venues at night was taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on Feb. 10, 2014.
Photos by NASA02PIA17970-
This awesome three-dimensional view of the Sochi Olympic coastal venues with the Caucasus Mountains rising behind them was taken by NASA's Aster satellite on Jan. 4, 2014.
Photos by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, NASA03IDL TIFF file
The outdoor snow events at the 2014 Olympics are taking place in the western Caucasus in an area near the small town of Krasnaya Polyana, which can be seen on the ridge above the ski slopes in this image taken by NASA's EO-1 satellite on Feb. 8, 2014.
Photos by NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ASTER04converted PNM file
This image taken by NASA's Terra satellite is centered on the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center where the downhill skiing and snowboarding events are taking place.
Photos by NASA/GSFC05IDL TIFF file
This view of the area around Sochi, including the Caucasus Mountains, was taken by NASA's Aqua satellite on Feb. 3, 2014, just four days before the opening ceremony.
Photos by Digital Globe/NASA/Google Earth061-Sochi-04112005
In 2005, the future site of the coastal Olympic venues was mostly farmland. Watch the venues and the Olympic Village grow over time in the next six slides.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth073-Sochi-03242010
Sochi was chosen as the site of the 2014 Olympics in July 2007. By 2010, the outline of some of the venues can be seen ringing the oval-shaped Medal Plaza.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth084-Sochi-05292011
In this image from May 2011, progress can be seen on several of the venues ringing the Medal Plaza.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth095-Sochi-09182011
By September 2011, several of the arenas have roofs and ground has been completely cleared for the Olympic Village, a strip just to the left of the venues.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth106-Sochi-12252012
By the end of 2012, most of the venues around the Medal Plaza are nearing completion, the Olympic Village has been partially built and the International Broadcasting Center looks close to finished.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth117-Sochi-03052013
With less than a year before the opening ceremony, more work clearly needs to be done in this image from March 2013. The roof of the Fisht Olympic Stadium isn't much more than a skeleton.
Photos by Digital Globe/Google Earth128-Sochi-11232013
In November 2013 with less than three months remaining before the games, the venues are all covered and looking good, the Olympic village appears ready and the train station is getting a roof.
