NASA has released stunning high-resolution images captured by the Artemis II crew as they sailed past the halfway point between Earth and the Moon. The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, took the remarkable photos after the crew's final engine burn, setting them on trajectory towards our nearest celestial body.
As of 07:00 BST, the Orion spacecraft was about 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth and 132,000 miles from the Moon. Upon hearing the news of this significant milestone, astronaut Christina Koch described the crew's collective joy, reached two days, five hours, and 24 minutes post-launch.
Among the captured imagery is one titled 'Hello, World', depicting the Atlantic Ocean against the backdrop of space, with the Earth eclipsing the Sun and auroras visible at the poles. The Earth appears upside down, revealing the western Sahara and the Iberian Peninsula on the left, with South America's eastern part on the right. NASA noted the bright planet near the Earth's surface as Venus.
The images were taken after the Artemis II team executed a trans-lunar injection burn, which pulled the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit, propelling them on a journey that will see them loop around the Moon's far side before returning. This historic expedition marks the first time humans have ventured beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972.
The astronauts should circle the Moon by April 6 and splash down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. As part of their excitement and discovery, Wiseman humorously requested guidance on cleaning the spacecraft's windows after an enthusiastic photo session revealed the peril from their excitement.
Another image illustrated the dividing line between night and day on Earth, akin to the terminator line, while yet another captured the nighttime brilliance of city lights set against the dark. NASA released a comparison with a similar view from Apollo 17 in 1972, highlighting the advancements made while emphasizing the unchanged beauty of our planet as seen from space.
As of 07:00 BST, the Orion spacecraft was about 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth and 132,000 miles from the Moon. Upon hearing the news of this significant milestone, astronaut Christina Koch described the crew's collective joy, reached two days, five hours, and 24 minutes post-launch.
Among the captured imagery is one titled 'Hello, World', depicting the Atlantic Ocean against the backdrop of space, with the Earth eclipsing the Sun and auroras visible at the poles. The Earth appears upside down, revealing the western Sahara and the Iberian Peninsula on the left, with South America's eastern part on the right. NASA noted the bright planet near the Earth's surface as Venus.
The images were taken after the Artemis II team executed a trans-lunar injection burn, which pulled the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit, propelling them on a journey that will see them loop around the Moon's far side before returning. This historic expedition marks the first time humans have ventured beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972.
The astronauts should circle the Moon by April 6 and splash down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10. As part of their excitement and discovery, Wiseman humorously requested guidance on cleaning the spacecraft's windows after an enthusiastic photo session revealed the peril from their excitement.
Another image illustrated the dividing line between night and day on Earth, akin to the terminator line, while yet another captured the nighttime brilliance of city lights set against the dark. NASA released a comparison with a similar view from Apollo 17 in 1972, highlighting the advancements made while emphasizing the unchanged beauty of our planet as seen from space.
