NASA says the Artemis II astronauts travelling in the Orion spacecraft are now more than halfway to the Moon. The crew have shared striking photographs of Earth after leaving Earth orbit and heading out into deep space. It is the first time humans have travelled beyond Earth orbit since 1972.
The pictures were taken after the astronauts completed a final engine burn. This important step moved Orion out of Earth orbit and set it on the right path towards the Moon. Mission commander Reid Wiseman took some of the photos from one of the spacecraft’s four main windows.
One photograph shows Earth with a glowing ring around it. NASA said this glow comes from Earth’s atmosphere as the planet blocks the Sun. Another picture shows the line between night and day, which is called the terminator.
Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen said the crew were “glued to the windows” as they took pictures. The astronauts also spotted bright lights on the night side of Earth during their journey. NASA says Artemis II is now following a looping route that will take the crew around the far side of the Moon and then safely back home.
