Artemis II Astronauts Capture Stunning Earth Images From Lunar Orbit
Key Takeaways
- Four astronauts aboard Orion are on a crewed mission around the Moon.
- NASA released the first Earth images from Artemis II during the journey.
- Crew reached halfway to the Moon after translunar injection burn.
Historic Earth Photos
NASA's Artemis II crew shared the first high-resolution images of Earth from inside Orion.
Wiseman captured views showing Earth backlit with auroras and zodiacal light.
The photos were taken after completing the translunar injection burn.
The crew was about 100,000 miles from Earth.
Crew Reaction and Mission Milestones
The crew had a collective expression of joy.
Koch described the view as breathtaking.
The mission does not include a lunar landing.
The next milestone is a six-hour orbital flight around the moon.
Scientific Observations and Public Impact
The photos include rare phenomena such as zodiacal light.
NASA shared a side-by-side comparison with an Apollo 17 image from 1972.
Coverage emphasized the symbolic power of Spaceship Earth.
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