
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
Well known Travel Booking Locales: What's Your Pick? - 2
Wedding Guest Outraged That Bride and Groom, Who Are in Their 60s and Have Both Been Married Before, Registered for Gifts - 3
Find the Effect of Web-based Entertainment on Psychological wellness: Exploring the Advanced Scene Securely - 4
Ukrainian man arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for Russia - 5
Your big brain makes you human – count your neurons when you count your blessings
Portugal among EU countries with the most people working close to 50 hours a week
Tourist trade in Greece and Cyprus suffering from Iran war effects
The Best Computer games for Multiplayer Fun
U.K. blocks Kanye West from entering Britain to headline now canceled festival: What led to the ban
The largest sun of 2026 rises today as Earth draws closest to our parent star
NASA's Voyager 1 set to achieve historic distance from Earth
What happened in 'Wicked' part 1 and will there be a 3rd movie? Recap and what Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu have said about a sequel.
Europe’s EV Boom Was Real in 2025. The Real Fight Starts In 2026
New COVID-19 variant 'Cicada' is spreading. What to know about BA.3.2.













