
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
Thyssenkrupp to suspend electrical steel production at French site - 2
The Secret Side of Italy: 12 Underrated Destinations Locals Don’t Want Tourists to Find - 3
Space station changes command, setting stage for Crew 11 departure - 4
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 25 people, Hamas health authority says - 5
Rights group: At least 2,500 deaths during protest crackdown in Iran
The Best Cell phone Brands for Tech Aficionados
From Sea shores to Urban areas: Astonishing Worldwide Travel Objections
Manageable Living: Eco-Accommodating Decisions for Regular day to day existence
Artemis II's moonbound toilet is working again to astronauts' relief after overnight fix
It's been 20 years since MTV's golden couple split. These producers saw it all unravel.
Senior's Manual for Obtaining a Hyundai Ioniq EV: Tips
First part of major new German-Danish tunnel cleared for lowering
7 Peculiar Ways Of starting Your Imagination: Motivation Has Never Been This Good times
NASA study shows how satellite 'light pollution' hinders space telescopes













