NASA has shared the first images captured by astronauts aboard the Artemis II Orion capsule as they journey toward the moon, offering stunning new perspectives of Earth from space.
The photographs were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman using a tablet equipped with a camera, showcasing two different views of the planet, according to CNN.
The first image was described by NASA mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as a “reminder that no matter how far we go, we are still one world, watching, hoping and reaching higher.” As the sun set behind Earth, auroras were visible in the top right and bottom left corners of the planet, while a bright band of zodiacal light appeared in the bottom right.
Another photograph, captured just minutes later with a faster shutter speed, highlights Earth’s glow at night. The illumination from electric lights is scattered across the globe, with sunlight visible along the planet’s edge.
Taken from one of the Orion spacecraft’s windows, another view of Earth was referred to as a “pale blue dot seen through the crew’s eyes.”
Mission specialist Christina Koch said during a downlink event, “Having just experienced incredible views of planet Earth, and seeing the entire planet out the window in one pane, knowing that we’re about to have some similar views of the moon in that same way is definitely getting me more excited for it.”
She added, “There’s nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking aspect of seeing your home planet both lit up bright as day and also the moon glow on it at night.”
Commander Wiseman recalled a moment when the spacecraft was reoriented as the sun set behind Earth. “The entire globe was visible, from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked very closely, the northern lights were also visible. It was an incredibly spectacular moment that left all four of us momentarily speechless.”
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen noted, “We are currently enjoying a stunning view of the dark side of the Earth illuminated by the moon. None of us can seem to get to lunch because we are captivated by the window.”
