The NASA Artemis II Crew’s Stunning First Photos of Earth

The NASA Artemis II crew piloted their Orion spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit this morning, charting a path toward the Moon. Artemis II Mission Commander Reid Wiseman captured a pair of exceptional photos of Earth through Orion’s capsule window, a spectacular celebration of the crew’s latest achievements. These are the first two images downlinked from the Artemis II crew.

The first shot shows about one-third of Earth peeking out from behind the Orion spacecraft capsule wall and window.

“Earth peeks through the capsule window, reminding us that a view like this relies on the ingenuity and hard work of countless people back home,” NASA writes.

In the second new frame, Earth’s full disk is visible. There are so many incredible details in this single frame, including a great view of Africa, a look at a twinkling Iberian Peninsula near the curve of the Earth, a green aurora at the 1 o’clock position, and stunning reflected light that gives Earth a glowing, pale blue appearance.

“We see our home planet as a whole, lit up in spectacular blues and browns. A green aurora even lights up the atmosphere,” NASA writes. “That’s us, together, watching as our astronauts make their journey to the Moon.”

Both new photos were captured by Reid Wiseman using the Nikon D5. The Artemis II mission’s primary cameras are a pair of Nikon D5 DSLRs that excel in low light and are built to withstand the extreme rigors of space, including the high levels of radiation. Wiseman described the D5 as a particularly great camera for low-light photography and optical viewing of the lunar surface, but said the Z9 is a “great piece of gear.”

However, thanks to the crew’s efforts, they were also able to take a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera with them aboard the Orion spacecraft. They will be testing the camera, as the Z9 will be the backbone of the next-generation Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) used on future Artemis missions, including Artemis III, when humans will step foot on the Moon for the first time since 1972.

Image credits: NASA / Reid Wiseman