In brief
The Artemis II mission crew, commanded by Reid Wiseman, has shared spectacular high-resolution images of Earth captured from the Orion spacecraft. The first image, titled 'Hello, World,' showcases Earth against the backdrop of space, highlighting the beauty of our planet as seen from outer space. The crew, which includes astronauts from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, completed a trans-lunar injection burn and is now on a course that will bring them around the Moon and back. Their journey marks the first time humans have traveled beyond Earth's orbit since 1972.
NASA has shared the first high-resolution images of the Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they head on their trip around the Moon.
The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, took the 'spectacular' images, NASA says, after the crew completed a final engine burn that set them on a trajectory towards our closest celestial neighbour.
The first image, called 'Hello, World,' shows the vast expanse of blue that is the Atlantic Ocean, framed by a thin glow of the atmosphere as the Earth eclipses the Sun and green auroras at either pole. It appears upside down, with the western Sahara and Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right. NASA identified the bright planet to the bottom right as Venus.
After the burn was completed, the crew was 'glued to the windows' taking pictures. Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen noted the stunning views they were experiencing, calling it a beautiful sight of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon.
Second images taken by Wiseman show the Earth divided by night and day. This horizon, known as the terminator, is an unforgettable sight for the astronauts as they continue their journey.
The crew’s first burn successfully took the Orion spacecraft out of Earth orbit, steering them for the more than 200,000 miles to the Moon. Artemis II will loop around the far side of the Moon and is set to return to Earth by April 10, making it the first crewed mission beyond Earth’s orbit in over 50 years.
