science
NASA shares first Orion photos as Artemis II heads to lunar orbit
Two crew photographs show Earth as Orion journeys to the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit since 1972.
Apr 4th 2026 · United States
Insights
- NASA released two Earth photos taken aboard Orion by commander Reid Wiseman.
- Orion left Earth orbit on Thursday and was about 100,000 miles (160,000 km) from Earth on Friday.
- Artemis II will enter lunar orbit but will not land, with a total mission of about ten days.
- The crew will pass behind the Moon on April 6 and will exceed the Apollo 13 distance record for a crewed mission.
- The four crew members are Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover of NASA and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.
Sources
- 58 tortillas, five hot sauces and one toilet: life aboard spacecraft Orion www.japantimes.co.jp
- 58 tortillas, five hot sauces and one toilet: life aboard spacecraft Orion www.dawn.com
- Todas las fotos de la operación Artemis II: así es la vida en la nave Orión www.mundodeportivo.com
- Los astronautas de Artemis II celebran su viaje hacia la Luna: "Es una vista preciosa" www.libertaddigital.com
- NASA troubleshoots Artemis II toilet problem in otherwise smooth flight www.cbsnews.com
- What will NASA’s Artemis II astronauts see on the moon? www.scientificamerican.com
- Where Are NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts Now? Closer to the Moon Than Earth. www.nytimes.com
- Artemis astronauts prepare for historic lunar flyby www.channelnewsasia.com
- 'We saw some extraordinary things' - astronauts give briefing aboard Artemis II www.smh.com.au
- NASA’s Artemis II moon mission is gearing up for its lunar flyby www.scientificamerican.com
- Artemis astronauts preparing for historic lunar flyby www.japantimes.co.jp