
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
I tried a macho, creatine-loaded cereal “for men.” Did I mention I'm a woman? - 2
Are protests pushing Iran's Islamic regime toward a tipping point? - 3
When darkness shines: How dark stars could illuminate the early universe - 4
Vote in favor of your favored spot to peruse - 5
Kiev declares energy emergency after Russian attacks amid winter cold
Chief of Staff Zamir warns IDF will collapse due to lack of manpower, raises 'ten red flags'
Humpback whale freed by rescuers in Baltic Sea has become stranded again
Nestlé recalls infant formula in 49 countries. See list.
Doomed SpaceX Starlink satellite photographed from orbit
Revealing the Incomparable Realms: An Excursion through Power and Inheritance
We tasted one of the 10,000 Hershey's Dubai chocolate bars being resold on eBay. Is it worth the hype?
'Stranger Things' made him a heartthrob. He left Hollywood anyway.
Mexico says a third of 130,000 missing people might be alive, fueling criticism from families
Astonishing interstellar comet captured in new images by NASA Mars missions












