Artemis II Astronauts Successfully Enter Lunar Trajectory, Capture Earth Images

NASA's Artemis II mission successfully completed its TLI burn, propelling the spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit.

“01:09 02:35 01:31 01:05 00:35 02:11 02:58 01:34 20 Minutes with AFP Published on April 2, 2026 at 12:52 AM • Updated on April 2, 2026 at 6:28 AM Heading toward our satellite for the Artemis II mission”

20 Minutes

This marked the first time humans have departed Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

20 Minutes

The crew consists of Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The mission is planned to last about 10 days.

Artemis II crew members captured high-resolution images of Earth described as "spectacular."

Commander Reid Wiseman took photos showing the Atlantic Ocean and green auroras.

Al Jazeera

These are the first Earth photos from beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years.

All four Artemis II astronauts carried personal smartphones aboard the mission.

“Embarked on Artemis II mission successfully, carrying four astronauts on a historic flight, the first of its kind in decades, a new step toward returning humans to the Moon in preparation for establishing a permanent presence there”

Almaghribtoday

This marks the second NASA crewed mission authorized to bring personal devices.

NASA views these devices as practical tools for communication and documentation.

NASA provided real-time mission tracking through AROW.

The public can follow Orion's journey and watch key milestones in augmented reality.

BBC

This reflects a broader push toward public engagement in space exploration.