From space come new images of the Artemis II mission. Astronauts have already spoken to Earth and described what they are seeing and feeling.
With professional cameras or cell phones, the astronauts on the Artemis II mission record every moment on board. But more than the images, it is the sensations that mark the journey to the moon’s orbit.
“On our first day in space, we saw extraordinary things. Earth up close, and when we woke up after a nap, Earth was so far away again,” says mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
And as they move further away, planet Earth gets smaller and smaller.
“We can see everything. And therefore, it is clear that we are not on Earth. (…). The view we have is special. And yes, the Earth is very small and the Moon is, without a doubt, looking bigger and bigger”, adds the mission pilot, Vicotr Glover.
These images emerge after a decisive stage: the translunar injection, a maneuver that removes the spacecraft from Earth’s orbit and places it on the route to the Moon.
“It felt like we were falling out of the sky, back to Earth, and I said to Reid, “It looks like we’re going to hit her. It’s amazing and we’re actually going to go around it and go through. (…) Being able to experience all of this is truly extraordinary”, confesses Jeremy Hansen.
Here, on Earth, NASA says that the mission is going well and that this is another step in the plan to set foot on the Moon again.
“The main objective of this mission is a campaign to return to the Moon and be able to see the lunar surface with your own eyes. (….) So, this is the first step in that direction, which will obviously serve as the basis for what will follow. We will observe the Moon, draw a map of it and then continue returning”, explains flight director, Judd Frielling.
This is the third of 10 days of the mission. The next images should arrive from a point even further away from Earth.
