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The NASA has released a series of unprecedented images taken by the crew of the Artemis II mission during their journey to the Moon, providing views that haven't been seen since the Apollo program era over 53 years ago.
The Orion capsule, named "Integrity" by its four crew members, launched on April 1st from launch pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, onboard the SLS rocket. It carries over 28 cameras that transmit high-resolution images and 4K video from deep space using infrared lasers at speeds of up to 260 Mbps.
The first image that captured the world's attention was the so-called Good morning, world, considered the first taken by human eyes since the famous "Earthrise" photograph from Apollo 8 in 1968.
During the lunar flyby, the crew captured images of the Orientale basin from inside the capsule, a lunar formation approximately 930 kilometers in diameter that can rarely be seen from Earth due to its location at the edge of the Moon's near side.
It was the first time that the entire basin has been seen by human beings with the naked eye from space, a historic milestone for crewed space exploration.
Among the main figures of this mission is Victor Glover, who became the first Afro-descendant to travel near the Moon, while the entire crew made history as the first humans to leave Earth's orbit in over five decades.
As part of the lunar flyby on April 6, the astronauts will attempt to recreate the iconic Earthrise photo from Apollo 8, capturing Earth rising over the lunar horizon in a direct nod to one of the most influential images in human history.
Image Gallery
The Earth from the interior of Orion
Partial view of Earth through one of the windows of the Orion capsule, captured during the Artemis II mission en route to the Moon.
Life Inside Orion
Astronaut Christina Koch is working inside the Orion capsule, illuminated by the screens during the Artemis II mission.
Orion takes a "selfie" in space
The Orion capsule is displayed in an image captured during an external inspection in-flight of Artemis II, showcasing details of its structure in deep space.
Window to Planet Earth
Astronaut Christina Koch observes Earth from the Orion capsule in a stunning image captured during the Artemis II journey to the Moon.
This is how the journey inside Orion is experienced
Astronaut Jeremy Hansen observes from inside the Orion capsule, surrounded by illuminated control panels during the Artemis II mission.
Thinking about Earth
Commander Reid Wiseman gazes at Earth from the Orion capsule, in one of the most intimate images from Artemis II's journey to the Moon.
The Moon on the horizon
View of the Moon captured by the Artemis II crew during its journey, showing details of its surface from space.
Earth from Orion
Commander Reid Wiseman observes the planet from the Orion capsule as the Artemis II mission progresses toward the Moon.
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