
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
The newest 'Project Hail Mary' trailer shows Ryan Gosling befriending an alien in Phil Lord and Chris Miller's space epic - 2
6 Natural products High In Vitamins,Which One Do You Like to Eat - 3
Key Caper d: A Survey of \Procedure and Tomfoolery Released\ Tabletop game - 4
Can a mammogram help identify heart disease? - 5
The Drone Video of the Year is stunning – you've not seen Namibia like this
A 'Stranger Things' documentary covering the final season is on its way: Watch the trailer
'Yellowstone' made him a fan favorite. His biggest role isn't the one you see.
Figure out How to Protect Your Gold Venture from Unpredictability
Most loved Well known Accessory Styles For 2024
Israel says soldiers wounded in Gaza fighting amid fragile truce
We may have one thing in common with jellyfish, new research finds
The Most Compelling Books of the 10 years
What are the health benefits of whole milk for kids?
Vote in favor of your Number one Kind of Gems













