NASA Artemis II moon mission captures stunning Earth images during historic lunar journey

NASA has released the first high-resolution images of Earth taken by the crew of its Artemis II as they travel towards the Moon.

The images, described as “spectacular” by Nasa, were captured by mission commander Reid Wiseman after the spacecraft completed a key engine burn that placed it on a trajectory beyond Earth’s orbit.

One image, titled Hello, World, shows the Atlantic Ocean framed by a thin atmospheric glow, with green auroras visible near both poles. The Earth appears upside down, with the western Sahara and Iberian Peninsula on one side and eastern South America on the other. Nasa said the bright object visible nearby is Venus.

The photos were taken following a trans-lunar injection burn that sent the Orion spacecraft more than 200,000 miles towards the Moon. The mission marks the first time humans have travelled beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972.

Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen told mission control the crew were “glued to the windows” taking pictures. “We are getting a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth, lit by the Moon,” he said.

Wiseman also described the challenge of capturing the images. “It's like walking out back at your house, trying to take a picture of the moon,” he said.

Nasa later added: “We've come so far in the last 54 years, but one thing hasn't changed: our home looks gorgeous from space!”