Artemis II Astronauts Share Breathtaking First Photos of Earth from Space

A Spectacular View from the Lunar Highway

The four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission have captured humanity's home planet in all its breathtaking glory, sharing the first images from their historic journey to the moon. Mission commander Reid Wiseman took the stunning photographs using his Personal Computing Device aboard the Orion spacecraft, offering spectacular views of Earth that left the entire crew mesmerized .

The first photo shows the entire planet with both Northern and Southern lights visible over the poles, while zodiacal light—created by sunlight reflecting off dust in the solar system—appears in the bottom right of the image . NASA mission control described the image as "a reminder that no matter how far we go, we are still one world, watching, hoping and reaching higher" .

A second image, taken just minutes later with a shorter shutter speed, emphasizes Earth's nighttime glow, with electric lights sprinkled across the globe and sunlight visible along the planet's edge . The frame captures incredible details including a great view of Africa, a twinkling Iberian Peninsula, and a green aurora that gives Earth a glowing, pale blue appearance .

Crew Captivated by Cosmic Views

The astronauts were so enchanted by the views that they postponed their first meal in space together to continue taking photographs, with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen noting they were "glued to the window" and couldn't get to lunch . Wiseman described the moment when Mission Control repositioned their capsule to reveal the entire Earth with northern lights as "the most spectacular moment, and it paused all four of us in our tracks" .

The crew's enthusiasm for Earth-gazing has already left the Orion windows dirty from constant use, with Wiseman asking mission control for proper cleaning procedures . Astronaut Christina Koch reflected on the experience, saying 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" .

Technical Achievement in Space Photography

Both photographs were captured using a Nikon D5 DSLR camera, which excels in low light conditions and is built to withstand the extreme rigors of space, including high levels of radiation . The crew also brought along a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera for testing, as it will serve as the backbone for the next-generation Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) on future Artemis missions .

As of Friday morning, the crew was 100,000 miles from Earth and rapidly approaching the moon with another 160,000 miles to go . Artemis II will reach the lunar sphere of influence on April 5, before flying around the far side of the Moon on April 6 .

Historic Return to Lunar Exploration

The four astronauts represent the first lunar travelers since Apollo 17 in 1972 , marking a pivotal moment in humanity's return to deep space exploration. The crew will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule without landing, having fired the main engine Thursday night to set their course .

These first images from Artemis II serve as a powerful reminder of Earth's fragile beauty and our shared humanity as we venture back toward the moon. The mission represents not just a technological achievement, but a renewed commitment to exploration that could pave the way for future lunar landings and even Mars missions, with each photograph capturing the wonder that drives us to reach beyond our home planet.