
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
From record warming to rusting rivers, 2025 Arctic Report Card shows a region transforming faster than expected - 2
Kids who get 2-month vaccines on time 7 times more likely to receive MMR shot: Study - 3
EU agrees on agriculture safeguards as fronts harden in Mercosur deal - 4
Rescuers attempt to dig free whale stranded on Germany's Baltic coast - 5
10 Hints and Deceives to Expand Cell Phone Information Use: Capitalize on Your Information
Air India chief resigns 10 months after devastating Ahmedabad crash and amid mounting financial troubles
Israeli Chief of Staff declares new border with Gaza Strip
‘Trip of suffering’: Gaza evacuee details 24-hour journey to South Africa
These 2 moon rovers used cameras and lasers to hunt for simulated water ice — and one looks like WALL-E
Figure out How to Consolidate Cutting edge innovations in Senior's SUVs
Storm Goretti sweeps United Kingdom, France with winds over 120 mph
Whale stranded off Germany for days found stuck again
Vote in favor of your #1 Kind of Cap
Watching ‘Home Alone’ with the kids this holiday season? Brace yourself for '6-7.'













