CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Artemis II astronauts have begun capturing breathtaking images of our planet as they approach the Moon. NASA released the crew’s first photos on Friday, just 1.5 days into this momentous mission, which is the first crewed lunar exploration in over half a century.
Commander Reid Wiseman’s first image showcases a striking curved slice of Earth seen through one of the Orion capsule’s windows. The second image magnificently depicts the entire globe, with swirling white clouds dancing over vast oceans.
On Friday morning, Wiseman and his colleagues were 90,000 miles away from Earth, racing towards the Moon with another 168,000 miles left to go. They are on track to reach their lunar destination this coming Monday.
The crew, comprising three Americans and one Canadian, will perform a lunar flyby in the Orion capsule before heading straight back home without making any stops. Their journey was propelled by firing the capsule’s main engine late Thursday night, establishing their course.
This mission marks the first human lunar travel since Apollo 17 in 1972, marking a significant milestone in NASA’s long-term exploration goals.
