The First Glimpses of Artemis II, and How Earth Looks From the Other Side
NASA has shared the first images from Artemis II, and they’re kind of amazing in a quiet way.
Four astronauts are out there now, circling the Moon, with Earth hanging back behind them like a little blue afterthought. It’s hard not to feel something when you see it.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch looks at Earth from one of the Orion spacecraft’s windows on April 4. NASA
There’s no big dramatic flourish to these images, which almost makes them better.
Just people, space, and that weirdly beautiful reminder that our planet looks fragile and far away from up there.
The dividing line between night and day, known as the terminator, appears to slice across Earth.Glover and Koch participate in lunar observations training in a replica of the Orion spacecraft at Johnson Space Center in Houston in July 2025. James Blair/NASANASA’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion crew capsule rolls from the vehicle assembly building to the launchpad on January 17. Joe Skipper/ReutersIn this long-exposure photo, the Artemis II rocket leaves behind a trail of dust. Keegan Barber/NASAA glimpse of Earth can be seen from inside the Orion capsule. NASAFrom left, Artemis II astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch walk out before traveling to the launchpad to board the Orion spacecraft. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty ImagesNASA’s Artemis II mission launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesOne 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. Reid Wiseman/NASA
