First images of Earth captured by the Artemis II mission They're already making their way around the world. While the Orion spacecraft continues its test flight to lunar orbit, NASA has released several high-resolution photographs showing our planet from a perspective not seen on a crewed flight since the Apollo program.
These screenshots show the Earth as a lit globe in the middle of the darknesswith well-defined continents, spectacular atmospheric phenomena, and the contrast between the day and night sides of the planet. Among the most striking elements are the presence of the Iberian Peninsula and a large part of Europe under the light of the Moon, as well as a green aurora that sweeps through the atmosphere.
A whole planet seen from Orion's window
One of the most talked-about photographs shows the entire Earth, illuminated by shades of blue and brownThe image, captured from one of the Orion capsule's windows after the spacecraft completed the translunar injection maneuver, shows the final boost that propelled the crew on its trajectory to the Moon. This engine burn, performed after the mission had already left low Earth orbit, was the decisive push that placed the crew on the path to the Moon.
They are clearly recognizable in the image. Africa and Europe, with the Iberian Peninsula located on the lower left edge of the globeenveloped by swirling white clouds. NASA has highlighted that two auroras are also visible, in the upper right and lower left of the planet, as well as the so-called zodiac light, a diffuse glow produced by interplanetary dust that reflects sunlight when the Earth comes between and eclipses the star.
Although the planet only makes up part of the composition, the space agency has stressed that "It is, by far, the brightest object in the image."The rest of the frame is dominated by the blackness of space and the frame of the capsule window, dotted with screws and structural elements that remind us that the scene has been captured from inside a spacecraft in flight.
NASA accompanied the release of these photos with messages intended to emphasize the collective nature of the mission. In one of them, the agency states that “We see our home planet as a whole, illuminated with spectacular blue and brown hues, with a green aurora shining in the atmosphere”and adds a reflection directed to the global public: “It is us, together, watching our astronauts' journey to the Moon.”
Reid Wiseman and the crew looking towards Earth
The images have been captured by the commander of Artemis II, Reid WisemanUsing a personal device—a tablet equipped with a camera—from the windows of Orion, Wiseman, an engineer and pilot with a long career in the U.S. Navy, had previously flown to the International Space Station as a flight engineer on Expedition 41, but had never before photographed Earth from a trajectory to the Moon.
This time he leads a crew made up of Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy HansenThe latter belongs to the Canadian Space Agency. The four astronauts are currently undertaking the first crewed flight of the Artemis program around the Moon, a ten-day mission that will serve to verify the Orion capsule's systems under real-world conditions before future lunar landings.
During a live broadcast with the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Wiseman explained that, after a reorientation maneuver of the spacecraft as the Sun set behind the Earth, they were able to see “the whole globe, from pole to pole”with Africa, Europe, and a clearly distinguishable aurora over the northern hemisphere. “It was a spectacular moment that left the four of us speechless,” he confessed.
The mission specialist Christina Koch He also tried to put into words what they were seeing out the windows. He recounted that, after spending several minutes pressed against the glass, they observed the Earth. “Illuminated as if it were daytime and, moreover, bathed in the glow of the Moon at night, with a beautiful ray of sunset”For Koch, knowing that they will soon see similar views of the lunar surface multiplies the emotional weight of the trip.
For its part, Jeremy Hanson He admitted that the crew even postponed their first meal together in space because They were unable to move away from the window“We have a beautiful view of the dark side of the Earth illuminated by the Moon. It’s phenomenal. None of us can eat lunch because we’re glued to the window, taking pictures,” he described, laughing. The anecdotes even include Wiseman’s concern about the dirt accumulating on the windows, to the point of asking ground control about the proper cleaning protocol.
Europe and the Iberian Peninsula take center stage in the images
A significant part of the impact of these photographs in Spain and other European countries is due to the fact that The Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe are clearly visible in several of the shots. In one of them, the planet's nighttime band reveals the network of city lights, with the Mediterranean coast and the interior of the peninsula marked by flashes that betray human activity.
NASA has indicated that the combination of moonlight, the Earth's curvature, and the long exposure of the cameras This has allowed scientists to capture details rarely seen in this type of space imagery. In addition to the brightness of urban areas, the green auroras high in the sky and the faint zodiacal light band, which crosses the sky like a luminous haze generated by interplanetary dust, are clearly visible.
These images have not gone unnoticed by the European scientific community. From the European Space Agency (ESA), the Spanish astronaut Pablo Álvarez She reacted on social media, pointing out that, in the photo, “We all went out”, referring to the fact that almost all of humanity is contained in that small globe suspended in darkness, except for the four astronauts who have gone far enough away to see how tiny our home looks from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away.
Beyond the symbolic component, these views allow European researchers to study phenomena such as auroras and atmospheric glow From an unusual angle. The contrast between day and night, clearly marked in some of the shots, offers additional information about the distribution of artificial lighting and large-scale weather conditions, data that can be cross-referenced with satellite observations to improve climate and light pollution models.
A visual milestone in manned space exploration
The publication of these first photographs of Earth from Artemis II has been compared, almost inevitably, to iconic images like those taken by the Apollo missionsIn the sixties and seventies, captures such as "Earthrise" (the sunrise on Earth seen from the Moon) or the famous "The Blue Marble" helped to change humanity's perception of its own planet, fueling environmental movements and reinforcing the idea of a shared world.
Half a century later, the new full snapshot of Earth taken from the lunar transfer orbit arrives in a radically different technological context, with high-sensitivity digital cameras with near-instant transmission from the images to millions of people. However, the psychological effect described by the astronauts—the so-called “perspective effect” or overview effect,– it remains very similar: a feeling of fragility, interconnectedness and smallness in the face of the immensity of space.
NASA has explained that the different shots were taken with different exposure times to highlight specific characteristics of the planet. In one of them, the shorter shutter speed obscures part of the surface, but highlights the electric lights of the cities and the outline of the atmosphere. In another, a longer exposure captures both the entire Earth's disk and the background stars and the glow of the zodiacal light.
From a technical point of view, the photographs also serve to confirm the proper functioning of Orion's optical, guidance, and life support systemsThe spacecraft's ability to maintain stable attitudes while the crew makes visual observations and recordings is a key indicator for future missions that will require more complex maneuvers around the Moon.
The US agency frames the release of these images within a broader strategy to bringing space exploration closer to societyThrough social media, live broadcasts, and educational content, the aim is for the public to feel part of the adventure and perceive the scientific and technological value of each step taken towards the natural satellite and, in the more distant future, towards Mars.
Artemis II: dress rehearsal for the return to the Moon
Artemis II launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Floridawith four astronauts on board and the objective of carrying out a trip of around 10 days which includes a flyby of the far side of the Moon and the subsequent return to Earth, with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
The mission is conceived as a large testbed for the systems of the Orion spacecraft and the SLS rocket (Space Launch System). During the first days of flight, the capsule has completed the Earth orbit escape maneuver and translunar injection without any notable incidents, placing itself in a highly elliptical orbit that takes it more than 400.000 kilometers away from our planet. This trajectory will even take it beyond the distance reached by historic missions such as Apollo 13.
In addition to the technical checks, the crew is carrying out observation and photographic documentation tasks from both Earth and the Moon, in order to gather data on illumination, temperatures, radiation, and the spacecraft's behavior at different points along its trajectory. These measurements will be essential for planning Artemis III, the mission that aims to land astronauts back on the lunar surface.
During one of the connections with Houston, Victor gloverThe mission's pilot wanted to send a message with a distinctly humanistic tone when speaking about the views of Earth receding through the window. Looking at the planet, he stated that, from that distance, “We are all one people, regardless of where we are from or what we look like”He referred to humanity as a single species sharing the same home. These words add to the long tradition of astronauts' reflections who, contemplating Earth from space, focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.
The mission also has a component of relevant international collaboration for EuropeESA is participating in the Artemis program through the Orion European Service Module, a critical section of the spacecraft that provides propulsion, electrical power, air, and water to the crew capsule. The performance of this module on Artemis II will be key to consolidating Europe's contribution to the return to the Moon and to future deep space exploration initiatives.
As the spacecraft continues its journey, NASA is expected to share new snapshots, including high-resolution images of the far side of the MoonThis region has never been directly observed by humans during a crewed mission. If all goes according to plan, Artemis II will mark a turning point in the transition from the sporadic lunar exploration of the Apollo era to a more sustained presence around the Moon.
What these first photographs of Earth have already revealed is a combination of technical feat and human perspectiveFrom a spacecraft hurtling toward the Moon, four people observe a small blue dot enveloped in lights and auroras, while millions of eyes on Earth watch those same images on screens and devices. This interplay of intersecting gazes, with the Iberian Peninsula, Europe, Africa, and the rest of the planet condensed into a single, shimmering globe, encapsulates the spirit of Artemis II: a test mission that, beyond the numbers and maneuvers, reminds us how profoundly connected everything that happens in space is to everyday life here on Earth.