
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
Instructions to Perform Fundamental Upkeep on Your Slam 1500. - 2
Full SNAP benefits must be paid ‘promptly,’ USDA tells states as government reopens - 3
5 Home EV Chargers for Proficient and Solid Charging - 4
Mars orbiter sees 'butterfly' crater spread its wings on the Red Planet - 5
Moon rush: These private spacecraft will attempt lunar landings in 2026
Before trips to Mars, we need better protection from cosmic rays
James Webb Space Telescope finds strongest evidence yet for atmosphere around rocky exoplanet: 'It's really like a wet lava ball'
A Texas GOP congressman is retiring. Trump just endorsed his identical twin to replace him.
One ant for $220: the new frontier of wildlife trafficking
6 Top of the line Lodgings All over The Planet, Which One Do You Concur With
Heavy rain, floods kill at least 45 people in Afghanistan, Pakistan
Europe’s Airlines Run Low on Fuel
‘We are the alternative’: Anti-Hamas Gaza militia tells BBC group is receiving international support
6 Trail blazing Bicycles for Rough terrain Undertakings












