The Artemis II crew photographed Earth in all its beauty as their Orion spacecraft continued its journey around the Moon.
NASA released the crew’s first image on Friday April 3rd – 36 hours into the first astronaut moon shot in more than half a century.
Taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman, the photograph captures the entire globe, with oceans traced by swirling ribbons of white cloud.
Crew member Christina Koch – the first woman to take part in a lunar mission – said: ‘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 with the beautiful beam of the sunset.’
The astronauts, Americans Wiseman, Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, a Canadian, spent their first day in space performing checks on the spacecraft, which had never carried humans before.
Later they had time to speak to US TV networks. ‘I’ve got to tell you, there is nothing normal about this,’ Wiseman told ABC News from the cramped interior of the capsule.
‘Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a herculean effort, and we are now just realising the gravity of that.’
The capsule, named Orion, will travel about 4,000 miles beyond the moon before turning back, providing unprecedented and illuminated views of the lunar far side.
If successful, the crew will push beyond previous limits, travelling over 250,000 miles from Earth—farther than any human mission to date.
It marks a step in a broader strategy to re-establish a sustained presence on the Moon, ultimately paving the way for a permanent base and deeper space exploration.
Now en route to the Moon, the Artemis crew is fully committed. Their spacecraft will use lunar gravity to swing around the Moon before returning to Earth.
The mission also carries a series of historic firsts, sending the first person of colour, the first woman and the first non-American on a lunar mission.
When questioned about divisions back on Earth, Glover turned to their view from space, pointing to the perspective it had given them.
‘You look amazing. You look beautiful. From up here, you also look like one thing,’ he said. ‘We’re all one people.’
Speaking earlier Dr Lori Glaze, Acting Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington said: ‘Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit. Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy now are on a precise trajectory toward the Moon.
‘Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data, and learning from each step
‘Each milestone we reach marks meaningful progress on the path forward for the Artemis program. While we have eight intensive days of work ahead, this is a big moment, and we’re proud to share it with the world.’
