Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth Photos During Historic Lunar Journey

Three days into the first crewed lunar mission in more than 53 years, NASA's Artemis II astronauts shared what they could see from 100,000 miles out: an Earth so striking that pilot Victor Glover felt compelled to address it directly.

"Trust us, you look amazing. You look beautiful. And from up here, you also look like one thing. Homo sapiens is all of us, no matter where you're from or what you look like. We're all one people," Glover said from aboard the Orion spacecraft.

NASA released two photographs Friday, the mission's first images of Earth from deep space, taken by Commander Reid Wiseman using a tablet camera after the crew completed their translunar injection burn on the evening of April 2. The agency titled the release "Hello, World." The first image shows approximately one-third of Earth visible through the Orion capsule window; the second, a wide-angle shot of the full globe, captures both Northern and Southern auroras glowing over the poles and zodiacal light, sunlight reflecting off solar system dust, visible in the bottom right corner. NASA described the second image as "a pale blue dot seen through the crew's eyes."

The crew's captivation with the view was evident from early transmissions. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen told mission control at Johnson Space Center in Houston that the crew was "glued to the window" and "taking pictures," adding: "We are getting just a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth right now lit by the moon. Phenomenal." Wiseman noted the Orion windows were already dirty from how much the astronauts had pressed against them. Mission Specialist Christina Koch described the experience as unlike anything training could prepare a person for: "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 photographs carry a distinction beyond their visual power. They are the first Earth images taken from a lunar mission while other humans were simultaneously in space, a first in spaceflight history. The International Space Station's crew remained in orbit as the Artemis II astronauts traveled outward, a reality Koch had flagged before launch: "We are going to be looking back at an Earth where not every human is on Earth. That is new, that is different."

Artemis II launched at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, marking the first crewed test flight of both vehicles. As of Friday morning, the crew were approximately 100,000 miles from Earth, with roughly 160,000 miles still remaining to reach the moon. Glover is the first person of color, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen ever to travel beyond low Earth orbit; Koch also holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days. NASA science official Lori Glaze captured the gravity of the moment at a news conference: "For the first time since 1972 during Apollo 17, human beings have left Earth orbit."

A planned lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, will allow the crew to photograph the lunar surface, including areas of the far side never seen directly by human eyes. The mission is expected to set the record for greatest distance from Earth by a crewed spacecraft at 252,799 miles (406,841 km), before Orion uses the moon's gravity to slingshot back toward a Pacific Ocean splashdown. Also aboard is a moon-shaped plush mascot named "Rise," designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye and chosen from more than 2,600 submissions, inspired by the Apollo 8 "Earthrise" photograph. The flight is designed to pave the way for Artemis 4, which targets a crewed lunar landing no earlier than 2028.