Earth Selfie From 228,500 Km Away: "Hello Again, World, After 54 Years"

"Hello, World." Artemis II, the first crewed lunar mission launched in over half a century since 1972, has transmitted photographs of Earth taken while en route to the Moon. According to major international outlets including BBC and CNN on Saturday, the astronauts aboard Artemis II released high-resolution images of Earth they had captured the previous day. The photos were taken as the spacecraft passed a midpoint approximately 228,500 km from Earth and about 212,400 km from the Moon. The images show the vast blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Earth appears upside down, and the glow of the atmosphere along with auroras at both poles are visible as the planet partially eclipses the Sun. A faint green aurora drapes over the round Earth, while zodiacal light is captured in the lower right. The western Sahara Desert and the Iberian Peninsula are visible on the left, with the eastern coast of South America on the right. Additional photos released include one showing Earth half-shrouded in darkness while the other half gleams in sunlight, another depicting a mostly dark Earth with a crescent-shaped glow in the lower right, and a shot of Earth seen through the Orion capsule's window from inside the spacecraft. All the images were taken after Artemis II completed its trans-lunar injection (TLI) burn the previous day, capturing Earth receding through the spacecraft's windows. NASA said, "In 54 years (since 1972), we have made tremendous progress, but one thing has not changed — our home, seen from space, is still beautiful." The astronauts also shared details of life inside the Orion capsule. Although Artemis II launched on the 1st of this month, the crew said they had only managed two brief naps so far. Commander Reid Wiseman said, "The crew sleeps hanging upside down like bats in the middle of the spacecraft, or stretched out in their seats," adding, "I sleep below the monitor screens to be ready for any contingency." He also noted that his crewmates love gazing out the windows so much that the glass has already gotten dirty, and they even asked mission control how to clean them. Christina Koch, the only woman among the four astronauts, called herself a "space plumber" and took pride in playing a major role in fixing the Orion's toilet, which had recently made headlines. After completing the repair, Koch said, "Everyone breathed a sigh of relief," adding, "It's now working normally." Artemis II is scheduled to reach the far side of the Moon on the 6th of this month and return to Earth on the 10th.

Earth Selfie From 228,500 Km Away: "Hello Again, World, After 54 Years"

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