CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Flux Daily) — The Artemis II astronauts have been sharing breathtaking images of our beautiful blue planet as they travel towards the Moon. NASA released the initial downlinked images on Friday, marking 1.5 days into this historic journey—the first astronaut moonshot in more than 50 years.
Commander Reid Wiseman captured an awe-inspiring photo showing a curved slice of Earth from the capsule’s window. A second image revealed the entirety of our globe, with oceans adorned by swirling white clouds.
As of midmorning Friday, Wiseman and his team were approximately 90,000 miles (145,000 kilometers) away from Earth, rapidly approaching the lunar surface, with around 168,000 miles (270,000 kilometers) yet to go. They are expected to reach the Moon by Monday.
The crew, comprised of three Americans and one Canadian, will navigate their Orion capsule in a trajectory that takes them around the Moon before heading straight back home without making any stops. The mission has been set in motion by firing the Orion’s main engine last Thursday night.
This marks the first lunar mission involving astronauts since Apollo 17 in 1972, paving the way for future lunar exploration and beyond.
Commander Reid Wiseman captured an awe-inspiring photo showing a curved slice of Earth from the capsule’s window. A second image revealed the entirety of our globe, with oceans adorned by swirling white clouds.
As of midmorning Friday, Wiseman and his team were approximately 90,000 miles (145,000 kilometers) away from Earth, rapidly approaching the lunar surface, with around 168,000 miles (270,000 kilometers) yet to go. They are expected to reach the Moon by Monday.
The crew, comprised of three Americans and one Canadian, will navigate their Orion capsule in a trajectory that takes them around the Moon before heading straight back home without making any stops. The mission has been set in motion by firing the Orion’s main engine last Thursday night.
This marks the first lunar mission involving astronauts since Apollo 17 in 1972, paving the way for future lunar exploration and beyond.
