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The astronauts aboard Artemis II have managed to capture the stunning allure of our planet as they edge closer to their lunar goal.
Just a day and a half into the first manned lunar mission in over fifty years, NASA unveiled the initial images transmitted by the crew on Friday.
A striking photo by mission commander Reid Wiseman features a portion of Earth visible through a spacecraft window. Another image presents the planet in its entirety, showcasing oceans adorned with wisps of white clouds and a faint green aurora, as reported by NASA.
By Friday morning, the crew, including Wiseman, had reached a distance of 100,000 miles from Earth, steadily closing in on the moon with 160,000 miles (258,000 kilometers) remaining. Their arrival is anticipated by Monday.
This team of three Americans and one Canadian will navigate around the moon in their Orion capsule, execute a U-turn, and head directly back to Earth. On Thursday night, they successfully ignited Orion’s main engine to set their trajectory.
After Mission Control shifted the position of their capsule, the entire Earth complete with northern lights filled their windows.
“It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks,” Wiseman said in a TV interview.
They’re the first lunar travelers since Apollo 17 in 1972.
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