NASA releases stunning first images of Earth taken by the Artemis II astronauts

NASA released the very first images taken by astronauts aboard the Artemis II Orion capsule as they are making their way to the moon.

The stunning pictures were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman using his Personal Computing Device — a tablet that includes a camera — and they are both views of Earth.

The first one was described by NASA mission control at Johnson Space Centre 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 to the top right and bottom left of the planet, and bright zodiacal light can be seen in a band at the bottom right.

Another image, taken just minutes apart, with a shorter shutter speed emphasizes Earth’s nighttime glow, according to NASA. The glow of electric lights can be seen sprinkled across the globe, while sunlight can be seen along the planet’s edge.

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Artemis II earth comparison Reid Wiseman/NASA
Taken from one of the Orion spacecraft’s windows, another view of the Earth was described as a “pale blue dot seen through the crew’s eyes.”

The images pair well with some remarks made by mission specialist Christina Koch during a downlink event with media on Day 2 of the flight.

“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 said. “I knew that that is what we would see. But 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. And knowing that we’re going to get similar views of the moon. I’m just, I’m really excited about that.”

A glimpse of Earth can be seen from inside the Orion capsule.

During the same conversation, Wiseman said: “There was a moment about an hour ago where Mission Control Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind the Earth. And I don’t know what we all expected to see at that moment, but you could see the entire globe, from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked really close, you could see the northern lights. It was the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks.”

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One of the first photos released from the mission shows Earth from the Orion spacecraft’s window, after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2. Two auroras can be seen at the top right and bottom left, and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

Wiseman also noted that the windows of Orion are already dirty because the crew has enjoyed looking out of them so much. He asked for the right procedures to clean the windows.

The crew was busy snapping photos during a period that was going to include the crew’s very first meal in space together — but they postponed it a bit to look outside and take photos.

“We are getting just a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth right now lit by the moon,” said Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. “Phenomenal. None of us can get to lunch because we’re glued to the window. We’re taking pictures. Reid said he just can’t take it anymore.” [CNN]