NASA released the first photos taken by the Artemis II crew on Friday, hours after the spacecraft left Earth orbit. The lead image, shot by commander Reid Wiseman through an Orion capsule window, shows the full planet with both northern and southern auroras and zodiacal light — sunlight reflecting off dust in the solar system — visible at the lower right. NASA captioned the photo ‘Hello, World.’
The image was captured after the crew completed their translunar injection burn. NASA is also streaming Orion’s live views as the vehicle travels toward and around the Moon.
On social media, NASA described the scene as the whole planet lit in blues and browns with a green aurora lighting the atmosphere. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen told mission control the crew was ‘glued to the window’ taking pictures after breaking free of Earth orbit. Wiseman said flight controllers in Houston reoriented the spacecraft as the Sun set behind Earth, giving the astronauts a pole-to-pole view that included Africa, Europe and the Northern Lights — a sight that briefly silenced the crew.
NASA also released a second photo showing a thin crescent of Earth through the Orion window and posted high-resolution versions with the caption ‘Good morning, world.’
Artemis II is on a trajectory that will take the astronauts around the far side of the Moon on Monday before returning toward Earth. The crew is expected to travel farther from our planet than anyone before, reaching about 252,021 miles at their farthest point behind the Moon.
Beyond the striking imagery, Artemis II is a test flight to validate flight controllers, procedures and systems needed for future lunar missions and longer stays on the Moon. As mission partner Jared Isaacman put it, this flight is the opening act in a series of missions aimed at returning humans to the Moon regularly and eventually establishing a sustained presence.