Klyuchevskaya volcano eruption. This large volcano, on the Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia, started to erupt on 30 September 1994. This was also the day that Shuttle Mission STS-68 was launched, allowing the astronauts an excellent opportunity to document the eruption from space. The cloud of ash from the volcano reached altitudes of over 60,000 feet (18,200 metres) and spread for over 600 miles (1000 km) to the south east. The Shuttle crew were also able to make radar images of the volcano using the second Space Radar Laboratory (SRL-2) being carried in the payload bay.