NASA's Artemis II crew offers a rare look at Earth shrinking into space and the Moon coming into view during humanity's return to deep space.
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo missions, marking a major step toward returning humans to the Moon.
What did the crew do and see?
From Day 2 of Artemis II, the crew guided the Orion spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and onto its path to the Moon, before continuing system checks and operations through Day 5.
Over the next few days, they kept a close watch on all systems, made small course adjustments, and got used to living in microgravity.
As they neared the Moon, the astronauts checked that they were on the right path for the flyby and began observing the Moon as it came into clearer view.
Fragile Blue Planet
IMAGE: Earth recedes into deep space as seen from Orion. All photographs: Kind courtesy NASA
Key Points
- Orion captures Earth-to-Moon journey in real time
- Crew conducts system checks and navigation exercises
- Mission prepares ground for future lunar landings
Looking Back At Home
IMAGE: Earth captured during the outbound journey.
IMAGE: A sliver of Earth appears illuminated in space as captured by the crew members.
IMAGE: A thin slice of Earth seen from Orion on the third day of the Artemis II mission.
IMAGE: Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman looks back at Earth through Orion spacecraft window during the journey to the Moon.
Earth Shrinks Into The Distance
IMAGE: Earth seen against the darkness of space from Orion on mission day three.
IMAGE: Earth glows against the darkness of space as seen from the Orion spacecraft on the fifth day of the Artemis II mission.
Crew Prepares For Historic Flyby
IMAGE: NASA Astronaut Christina Koch prepares for lunar flyby activities after completing the exercise aboard Orion spacecraft.
IMAGE: NASA's Orion spacecraft performs an outbound correction burn to refine its trajectory toward the Moon during Artemis II mission.
Course Set For Lunar Flyby
IMAGE: The Orion spacecraft with the Moon visible in the distance, captured from a camera mounted on its solar array wing.
Mapping The Moon's Surface
IMAGE: Crew interface showing the lunar observation plan, highlighting Orientale basin and Hertzsprung basin targets.
IMAGE: The nearside of the Moon shows ancient lava plains and the prominent Tycho crater during observations.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
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