NASA publishes the first splendid images of the Earth taken by…

NASA has released the very first images taken by astronauts aboard the Artemis II Orion capsule as they headed towards the moon.

The stunning photos were taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman using his Personal Computing Device – a tablet that includes a camera – and are both views of Earth.

The first was described by NASA mission control at Johnson Space Center in Houston as a “reminder that no matter how far we go, we are still one world, looking, hoping, and reaching higher.” As the sun set behind Earth, auroras were visible at the top right and bottom left of the planet, and bright zodiacal light can be seen in a band at the bottom right.

According to NASA, another image, taken a few minutes apart, with a shorter shutter speed, emphasizes Earth’s nighttime glow. The glow from electric lights can be seen scattered across the globe, while sunlight can be seen along the edge of the planet.

Comparison with Artemis II Earth Reid Wiseman/NASA
Taken from one of the windows of the Orion spacecraft, another view of Earth was described as a “pale blue dot seen through the eyes of the crew.”

The images pair well with some observations made by mission specialist Christina Koch during a downlink event with the media on the second day of the flight.

“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 similar views of the moon in the same way definitely makes me more excited,” he said. “I knew this was what we would see. But there’s nothing that prepares you for the breathtaking sight of seeing your home planet lit up during the day and also the moon shining on it at night, with the beautiful ray of the sunset. And knowing that we will have similar views of the moon. I’m really excited about this.”

A glimpse of Earth can be seen from inside Orion’s capsule.

During the same conversation, Wiseman said, “There was a moment about an hour ago when Mission Control Houston reoriented our spacecraft as the sun was setting behind the Earth. And I don’t know what we expected to see at that moment, but you could see the entire globe, from pole to pole. You could see Africa, Europe, and if you looked very closely, you could see the Northern Lights. It was the most spectacular moment and stopped all four of us in our tracks.”

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One of the first photos released from the mission shows Earth from the window of the Orion spacecraft, after completing the translunar injection on April 2. Two auroras can be seen at the top right and bottom left, and the zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

Wiseman also noted that the Orion’s windows are already dirty because the crew had so much fun looking at them. He asked for the right procedures for cleaning windows.

The crew was busy taking photos during a period that would have included the crew’s first real meal in space, but they put it off a bit to look outside and take photos.

“We’re getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth right now illuminated by the moon,” said Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. “Phenomenal. None of us can make it to lunch because we’re glued to the window. We’re taking pictures. Reid said he can’t take any more.” [CNN]

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