Nasa has unveiled the first images from its Artemis II mission, offering a breathtaking view of Earth as astronauts journey toward the Moon—marking humanity’s return beyond low-Earth orbit after more than five decades.
Released on Friday, just days into the mission, the photographs capture Earth in vivid detail from the Orion spacecraft. The images were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman after the successful translunar injection burn that set the crew on course for a lunar flyby.
One striking image shows a curved section of Earth against the darkness of space, with glowing auroras visible at opposite edges. Another presents the full globe—deep blue oceans swirling with white clouds and a green aurora shimmering along the horizon. Zodiacal light, caused by sunlight scattering through interplanetary dust, is also visible as Earth partially eclipses the Sun.
Reflecting on the images, Nasa exploration systems leader Lakiesha Hawkins said, “It’s incredible to think that, except for our four astronauts, everyone on Earth is captured in that single view.”
Nasa also released a side-by-side comparison with a similar photograph taken during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972—the last time humans traveled to the Moon. “We’ve come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn’t changed: our home looks gorgeous from space,” the agency noted.
As of Saturday, Artemis II is roughly halfway to the Moon. The four-member crew will perform a lunar flyby, gathering scientific observations before looping back toward Earth. While the mission does not include a landing, it serves as a crucial test of systems needed for future deep-space exploration.
Launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard the Space Launch System rocket, Artemis II is a major milestone in Nasa’s Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and pave the way for missions to Mars.
After Mission Control adjusted Orion’s orientation, the astronauts were greeted with a full view of Earth framed by shimmering northern lights. “It was the most spectacular moment—it stopped all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said in a televised interview.
