
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
Last Christmas, 3 million viewers watched a Chiefs love story — will Bills fans fall just as hard this year? - 2
Thousands of ultra-orthodox protest in Jerusalem against conscription - 3
6 Solid Vehicle Fix Administrations to Keep Your Vehicle in Prime Condition - 4
Vote in favor of your Favored kind of craftsmanship - 5
France honors the victims of the Paris attacks' night of terror 10 years on
NASA unveils close-up pictures of the comet popping by from another star
Lebanese Shi’a party Amal competing, coordinating with Hezbollah, experts tell ‘Post’
At least 18 Palestinians killed in latest clashes in Gaza
The wolf supermoon will kick off 2026 with a celestial bang. Here's when and how to see it.
Which Switch Game Do You Suggest? Share Your Decision
The most effective method to Pick The Right Speakers
Make your choice for a definitive Christmas getaway destination!
'Backward and upward and tilted': Spaceflight causes astronauts' brains to shift inside their skulls
21 Things You Ought to Never Share with Your Childless Companion













