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The astronauts of the Artemis 2 mission have shared a unique view of how the Earth looks from their Orion spacecraft heading to the Moon. The image, released on April 3, 2026, shows our planet shining like a sapphire against the backdrop of endless space, demonstrating its beauty to those who will never be able to see it with their own eyes.
The photo shows the Earth from aboard the Orion capsule, which successfully completed a key engine maneuver on the evening of April 2, placing the spacecraft out of Earth orbit and on a course for the Moon. NASA astronauts Reed Weissman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency representative Jeremy Hansen, watched the Earth move away, and today NASA released one of those images on the X platform.
The photo is striking in itself, showing the Earth as a fragile and vibrant center of life in the darkness of space. However, its significance is enhanced by its connection to the Artemis 2 mission. This is the first manned mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. If all goes according to plan, Weissman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen will circle the Moon on the sixth day of the flight, which started on April 1, and return to Earth for refueling on the tenth day.
The Artemis 2 mission does not involve landing on the Moon or even entering its orbit. It serves as a preparation for future stages, including more ambitious plans: NASA aims to build a base near the Moon’s south pole in the early 2030s. In a post on X, NASA noted: “We can see our planet in its entirety, illuminated by incredible blue and brown hues. The green aurora even shines in the atmosphere. It’s us watching together as our astronauts travel to the moon.”
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