
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
Colombia's military rescues 6 siblings who hid in the rainforest to escape from a rebel group - 2
Five killed in Israeli air strikes on tents near Khan Younis, medics say - 3
Everyday Seasonal Positions That Compensate Fairly in the US - 4
Lilly becomes first healthcare firm to join trillion-dollar club, Wall Street reacts - 5
The Way to Fruitful Weight reduction: Individual Wellbeing Excursions
What are parents to do as doctors clash with Trump administration over vaccines?
The most effective method to Apply Antiquated Ways of thinking in Current Brain science Practices
Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection
Find the Future of Outsourcing: Exploring the Gig Economy
Coalition led by Iraqi PM al-Sudani wins parliamentary elections
The 15 Most Powerful Forerunners in Business
Israel faces widespread condemnation as NGO ban comes into effect
Israeli strikes on Beirut, as Hezbollah and Iran attack Israel
Figure out How to Protect Your Gold Venture from Unpredictability












