
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
What were the little white pills found in Tiger Woods's pocket at the scene of his crash? What to know about hydrocodone. - 2
Is 'Stranger Things' releasing one last episode? The 'Conformity Gate' fan theory explained as speculation mounts. - 3
NASA to bring astronauts home from space station early due to a medical issue - 4
Global measles cases drop 71% in 24 years as vaccination coverage improves, WHO says - 5
Vagus nerve stimulation shows promise as a way to counter Alzheimer’s disease- and age-related memory loss
Discovery of ancient pleasure boat reveals Egypt's maritime history
Antivirus Programming for Exhaustive Security
Vote in favor of your #1 Kind of Cap
The Most Important Crossroads in Olympic History
Everything to know about NASA's moon mission launching this week
Zelensky names spy chief to head presidential office after corruption row
Vote In favor of Your Favored Web-based Visual depiction Administration
From Amateur to Master: My Involvement in Photography
Figure out How to Take part in Open Conversations Around 5G Pinnacles












