
NASA has shared the first breathtaking views of Earth taken from the Artemis II mission as the crew continues its journey toward the moon.
The photos reveal Earth behind the Orion spacecraft, our home planet aglow with aurora.
One photo of Earth, taken Thursday by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion window, shows the planet backlit, with auroras visible at the top right and bottom left, Lakiesha Hawkins, deputy director for NASA’s Artemis program, said Friday during a news conference.
A zodiacal light is also visible at the bottom right as the Earth eclipses the sun, she said.
Another photo of Earth, also taken by Wiseman, shows a terminator line, meaning the line separating daylight and nighttime on the planet.
“What an amazing shot that he shared with us here,” she said.
The photos were taken after completing the translunar injection burn Thursday.
Hawkins said Friday, the third day of the Artemis II mission, that so far systems are normal and “the crew is in great spirit.”
The four crew members — NASA astronauts Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — launched Wednesday on the 10-day mission.
As of Friday, the crew is more than 100,000 miles from Earth, with about 150,000 miles to go to the moon.
The mission does not include a lunar landing, but is designed as a step toward a landing in 2028.
The next major milestone for the space pioneers will be Monday, when the crew is expected to fly around the moon.
That flyby could mark the farthest venture from Earth made by humans, surpassing the distance record of 248,655 miles set by the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Everyone knows F1 is for the girls. I wandered into the Las Vegas desert to find out why. - 2
German mid-sized firms gloomy on outlook, survey finds - 3
Merz: 80% of Syrians in Germany should return in three years - 4
True serenity: Investigating Emotional well-being and the Advantages of Contemplation - 5
Survey: Protected And Versatile Men's Razor
NASA troubleshoots Artemis II toilet problem in otherwise smooth flight
Step by step instructions to Involve Compact disc Rates for Magnanimous Giving
Reactions as Artemis II astronauts lift off on historic lunar mission
Geminid shooting stars: One of 2025's most exciting meteor showers begins tonight
Getting breast implants was a mistake I live with every day. Why I’m sharing my story now, at 70, in pain and afraid.
The Main 20 Gaming Control center Ever
Eating ultra-processed foods could raise precancerous polyp risk for women under 50, according to research
Don't miss the waxing moon swing by the Beehive star cluster March 27
Astronomers detect rare 'free floating' exoplanet 10,000 light-years from Earth













