Artemis II Astronauts Rocket Toward Moon, Capture Earth’s Stunning Beauty

NASA’s Artemis II astronauts have embarked on humanity’s first crewed lunar journey in more than 50 years , capturing breathtaking images of Earth as they speed toward the moon.

The crew Commander Reid Wiseman , pilot Victor Glover , Christina Koch , and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen released their first downlinked photos Friday, showing a curved slice of Earth from Wiseman’s window and the entire globe with oceans and swirling clouds. As of Friday morning, they were 90,000 miles (145,000 km) from Earth , closing in on the moon, which lies another 168,000 miles (270,000 km) away .

Thursday night, the astronauts fired the Orion capsule’s main engine , executing a flawless translunar injection that set them on a free-return trajectory . This path will take them around the moon, allowing a U-turn before returning to Earth without stopping. Mission Control described it as “ humanity’s lunar homecoming arc ,” while Hansen called the views behind them “phenomenal.”

This mission is a critical test flight for NASA’s Artemis program , which aims for a moon landing by two astronauts in 2028 and a sustained lunar presence. The crew will become the farthest humans ever from Earth , surpassing the Apollo 13 record, and may achieve record-breaking re-entry speeds on April 10.

Glover, Koch, and Hansen have already made history as the first Black astronaut, first woman, and first non-US citizen to travel to the moon. Apollo’s 24 lunar explorers were all white men.

The mission promises unique celestial sights , including a total solar eclipse from the spacecraft as the moon temporarily blocks the sun, and illuminated views of the lunar far side .

While the crew faced minor technical issues Orion’s toilet malfunctioned, and a water valve required contingency measures Mission Control guided them through solutions, ensuring sufficient drinking water and safe operations.

Earlier, NASA had the crew spend a day in Earth orbit to test life-support systems, with a wake-up call featuring John Legend’s “Green Light” and cheering teams. Now committed to the moon, the astronauts are on track to make history once again.

Monday’s lunar flyby, which will provide the first human view of the moon’s far side in decades and further validate Orion’s systems for deep-space missions.