Artemis II crew snaps stunning portrait of Earth on their way to the moon
Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. After a nearly flawless launch—and a brief lavatory issue—the four astronauts aboard Artemis II are cruising on the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years. As of April 3rd, the team is less than 170,000 miles from its pass around the moon. There is still a lot of work to do before the 10-day mission is complete, but that doesn’t mean the Orion spacecraft’s inhabitants can’t pause to take in the sights. Not long after leaving his home planet’s gravitational pull, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman photographed a side of Earth not seen by human eyes in decades. Artemis II will return to Earth on April 10th. Credit: NASA / Reid Wiseman According to NASA, Wiseman snapped the picture after the crew completed their translunar injection burn—the final engine boost to set the astronauts on their rendezvous course. Two auroras at the top right and bottom left along with zodiacal light in the bottom right are visible and …






