
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
Olivia Rodrigo announces 3rd album, 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,' set to debut in June - 2
7 Strange Apparatuses to Make Your Party Stick Out! - 3
Iran's stolen futures: The arrested Iranians at risk of execution by the regime - 4
New portrait of the oldest-known supernova | Space photo of the day for March 27, 2026 - 5
Embracing Practical Living and Ecological Protection
Finding the Force of Mentorship: Self-awareness Through Direction
Brazil judge orders government to add JBS subsidiary to 'dirty list' for slavery
I tried a macho, creatine-loaded cereal “for men.” Did I mention I'm a woman?
'A completely new manufacturing frontier': Space Forge fires up 1st commercial semiconductor factory in space
The Difficulties of Getting a Green Card in the US
The most effective method to Begin Your Excursion in Gold Venture
How to identify animal tracks, burrows and other signs of wildlife in your neighborhood
NASA astronauts to return from space early due to an 'unexpected medical issue.' What happened — and when are they coming home?
Moon fever hits DC as Artemis 2 rocket 'candle' lights up Washington Monument just 1 month before launch (photos)













