
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
Syria rejects forced deportations from Germany amid migration debate - 2
How we came to be: Scientists get first look at the evolution of early complex animals - 3
EU Council president: Ukraine should receive binding guarantees - 4
6 Methods for further developing Rest Quality - 5
Support Your Body: A Manual for Smart dieting and Sustenance
Don't fall for it: These common tourist scams in Rome are easy to avoid if you know what you're looking for
Energy agency chief warns of 'black April' for oil supplies
'We were genuinely astonished': This moss survived 9 months outside the International Space Station and could still grow on Earth
The Response to Fake General Knowledge: Investigating the Eventual fate of artificial intelligence
Korean Air takes emergency action as fuel prices soar
The Secret Destinations Amex Says Will Be More Popular Than Bali by 2026
RFK Jr. succeeds in changing hepatitis B recommendation | The Excerpt
Progress Over Perfection: Lessons From Garment Factories Fighting Heat Stress
Iran plans new restrictions in overhaul of Strait of Hormuz rules













