NASA has shared the first high-resolution images of the Earth taken by the Artemis II crew as they pass the halfway point between the Earth and the Moon.
The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, took the spectacular images after the crew completed a final engine burn that set them on a trajectory towards our closest celestial neighbor.
As of 07:00 BST, NASA's online dashboard indicated that the Orion spacecraft was now 142,000 miles (228,500 km) from Earth and 132,000 miles from the Moon.
Astronaut Christina Koch expressed their joy upon reaching this milestone, which was achieved around two days, five hours and 24 minutes post-launch.
The first image, titled Hello, World, captures the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Earth eclipsing the sun and green auroras visible at the poles. The Earth appears upside down with various notable locations identified.
NASA pointed out the bright planet in the image as Venus, adding to the beauty of the captured scene.
Wiseman also took another captivating image from one of the Orion spacecraft's windows, depicting a beautiful view of Earth from space.
The images were taken post a successful trans-lunar injection that moved the Orion spacecraft out of Earth orbit, marking the Artemis II mission as the first time since 1972 that humans have ventured beyond Earth's orbit.
The crew is on a looping path that will take them around the far side of the Moon before returning to Earth. They are expected to pass around the Moon on 6 April and make a Pacific Ocean splashdown on 10 April.
Throughout this awe-inspiring journey, the crew has remained excited and engaged, capturing stunning visuals of Earth bathed in sunlight contrasted against the darkness of space.
