Artemis II mission: NASA releases first photos of Earth taken by crew. Watch here

Astronauts aboard NASA’s historic Artemis II mission have released the first images captured from the Orion spacecraft as it travels toward the Moon, offering a breathtaking view of Earth from deep space and marking a powerful moment for the mission. 

The photographs were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman using his Personal Computing Device — essentially a tablet equipped with a camera — inside the Orion capsule. Both images show Earth from the crew’s vantage point as they journey farther from their home planet. 

According to NASA mission control at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, the first image serves as a reminder of humanity’s shared home. The agency described it as “a reminder that no matter how far we go, we are still one world, watching, hoping and reaching higher.” 

The second photograph was taken through one of the Orion spacecraft’s windows. The view captures Earth glowing against the darkness of space — what mission controllers called a “pale blue dot seen through the crew’s eyes,” echoing the iconic phrase popularised by Carl Sagan. 

The images come as the crew of Artemis II continues its multi-day journey toward the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, part of NASA’s broader Artemis program aimed at returning humans to lunar exploration. 

Mission specialist Christina Koch shared her reflections during a downlink conversation with reporters on Day 2 of the flight, describing the emotional impact of seeing Earth from space. 

“Having just experienced incredible views of planet Earth, and seeing the entire planet out the window in one pane, knowing that we’re about to have some similar views of the Moon in that same way is definitely getting me more excited for it,” Koch said. 

She added that while astronauts train for such moments, nothing truly prepares them for the experience of seeing Earth illuminated against the darkness of space. 

“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, with the beautiful beam of the sunset,” she said. “And knowing that we’re going to get similar views of the Moon — I’m really excited for that.”