NASA has shared the first high-resolution images of the Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they pass the halfway point between the Earth and the Moon. The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, snapped the spectacular images after the crew completed a final engine burn that set them on a trajectory towards our closest celestial neighbor.
At about 07:00 BST, NASA's online dashboard indicated that the Orion spacecraft was now 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth and 132,000 miles from the Moon. Astronaut Christina Koch noted the crew's collective expression of joy at reaching this milestone, which occurred approximately two days, five hours, and 24 minutes after launch.
The first image, titled Hello, World, showcases the vast expanse of blue that is the Atlantic Ocean, framed by the glow of the atmosphere as Earth eclipses the Sun and green auroras at the poles. The image shows Earth from an upside-down perspective, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula visible to the left and eastern South America on the right. NASA identified the bright planet at the bottom right corner as Venus.
Wiseman also captured another view titled Artemis II Looking Back at Earth, featuring a small window from the Orion capsule with part of Earth outside. These captivating images were taken after the crew successfully performed a trans-lunar injection burn in the early hours of Friday, propelling the Orion spacecraft out of Earth orbit toward the Moon's more than 200,000-mile distance.
Artemis II is on a looping path that will carry the crew around the far side of the Moon and back again, marking the first time since 1972 that humans have ventured beyond Earth's orbit. The spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to pass around the Moon on April 6 and return to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
As they traveled, the crew's enthusiasm was palpable. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen remarked that they were glued to the windows capturing photos of the dark side of Earth illuminated by the Moon. Wiseman humorously inquired about cleaning the windows, as the astronauts' excitement had left them dirty.
Despite initial challenges in capturing images due to exposure settings, the astronauts successfully documented the stunning beauty of Earth and its lights during nighttime. NASA produced a side-by-side comparison of images taken in 2026 and a similar view from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, reflecting on how their home remains breathtaking from space.
At about 07:00 BST, NASA's online dashboard indicated that the Orion spacecraft was now 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth and 132,000 miles from the Moon. Astronaut Christina Koch noted the crew's collective expression of joy at reaching this milestone, which occurred approximately two days, five hours, and 24 minutes after launch.
The first image, titled Hello, World, showcases the vast expanse of blue that is the Atlantic Ocean, framed by the glow of the atmosphere as Earth eclipses the Sun and green auroras at the poles. The image shows Earth from an upside-down perspective, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula visible to the left and eastern South America on the right. NASA identified the bright planet at the bottom right corner as Venus.
Wiseman also captured another view titled Artemis II Looking Back at Earth, featuring a small window from the Orion capsule with part of Earth outside. These captivating images were taken after the crew successfully performed a trans-lunar injection burn in the early hours of Friday, propelling the Orion spacecraft out of Earth orbit toward the Moon's more than 200,000-mile distance.
Artemis II is on a looping path that will carry the crew around the far side of the Moon and back again, marking the first time since 1972 that humans have ventured beyond Earth's orbit. The spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is expected to pass around the Moon on April 6 and return to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
As they traveled, the crew's enthusiasm was palpable. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen remarked that they were glued to the windows capturing photos of the dark side of Earth illuminated by the Moon. Wiseman humorously inquired about cleaning the windows, as the astronauts' excitement had left them dirty.
Despite initial challenges in capturing images due to exposure settings, the astronauts successfully documented the stunning beauty of Earth and its lights during nighttime. NASA produced a side-by-side comparison of images taken in 2026 and a similar view from the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, reflecting on how their home remains breathtaking from space.
