Images were taken by the mission commander, using a tablet. “We are having a simply beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth right now, lit by the Moon,” described one of the astronauts
NASA released the first images taken by astronauts aboard the Orion capsule of the Artemis II mission, which is heading towards the Moon.
The stunning images were captured by mission commander Reid Wiseman using his personal computer device — a camera-equipped tablet — and show views of Earth from the capsule.
The first image was described by NASA mission control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston as a “reminder that no matter how far we go, we remain one world, observing, hoping and reaching higher.”
The second image was taken from one of the Orion spacecraft’s windows, another view of Earth described as a “pale blue dot seen through the crew’s eyes.”
NASA has released one of the first photographs taken by the Artemis II crew during the mission. Courtesy NASA
The images confirm statements made by mission specialist Christina Koch during a broadcast session with the press on the second day of the flight.
“After having just enjoyed incredible views of planet Earth and seeing the entire planet out the window in a single pane, knowing that we are about to see similar views of the Moon in the same way definitely makes me even more excited about it,” said Koch. “I knew this was what we would see. But nothing prepares us for the spectacle of seeing our planet Earth lit up as if it were daytime and also the Moon shining down on it at night, with the beautiful beam of light from the sunset. And knowing that we will have similar views of the Moon. I’m just so excited about that.”
During the same conversation, Reid Wiseman highlighted one moment in particular: “There was a moment about an hour ago when Mission Control in Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind the Earth. And I don’t know what we all expected to see at that moment, but you could see the entire globe, from pole to pole. You could see Africa, you could see Europe, and if you looked really closely, you could see the aurora borealis. It was the greatest moment.” spectacular and made the four of us stop and admire.”
Reid Wiseman noted that Orion’s windows already appear to be dirty because the crew can’t help but stare at the landscape.
The crew was busy taking photos for a period that would have included their first meal together in space — but they held off for a while to look outside and take photos.
“We are getting a simply beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth right now, lit by the Moon,” said Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. “Phenomenal. None of us can go to lunch because we’re glued to the window. We’re taking pictures. Reid says he can’t take it anymore.”
