Artemis II Astronauts’ ‘Last Look At Earth’ Goes Viral: NASA Shares Stunning Crescent Planet Image From Orion

Artemis II astronauts captured a striking image of Earth appearing as a thin crescent in the vast darkness of space as their spacecraft continued its journey toward the Moon. The photograph, shared by NASA on Sunday, was taken from inside the Orion spacecraft and shows only a narrow sliver of the planet illuminated through one of the capsule’s windows.

In a post on X, NASA described the moment as a final glimpse of home before the crew approaches the Moon.

“One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon,” NASA wrote.

The agency added that the image was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the mission.

“This view of the Earth was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, from inside the Orion spacecraft. The four astronauts will reach their closest approach of the Moon tomorrow, April 6.”

Artemis II Astronauts To Witness Communication Blackout During Lunar Pass

As the spacecraft approaches the Moon, the crew will soon face a temporary loss of communication with mission controllers on Earth.

During the lunar flyby, the Orion capsule will pass behind the Moon, blocking direct communication with NASA’s Mission Control for nearly an hour.

The agency depends on the NASA Deep Space Network, which operates massive antennas in California, Spain, and Australia to maintain contact with deep-space missions. However, when the spacecraft moves behind the Moon, these antennas will lose direct line of sight for about 40 minutes.

Such communication blackouts are not new. Similar moments occurred during the historic Apollo missions decades ago, often creating tense periods for teams monitoring the spacecraft from Earth.

Artemis flight director Judd Frieling emphasized that the laws of science will guide the mission safely through the maneuver.

“Physics takes over and physics will absolutely get us back to the front side of the moon,” Frieling said.

Artemis II Astronauts Share Earlier Images of Earth

The crew had already shared several images of Earth during their journey. On Saturday, astronauts posted additional photographs taken while traveling toward the Moon.

One of the images shows Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander, gazing out from one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows and looking back at Earth.

Wiseman described the moment simply in a caption posted on X.

“There are no words,” he wrote.

The photograph was taken on April 2, the mission’s second day of spaceflight.

Artemis II Mission Progress: Two-Thirds of the Journey Completed

According to NASA, the Artemis II mission has now completed roughly two-thirds of its journey to the Moon as it prepares for a lunar flyby.

The space agency confirmed the milestone in a social media update posted Saturday night. At the time, the Orion spacecraft had traveled 187,633 miles from Earth, with 93,890 miles remaining before reaching the Moon.

NASA also provided insight into the crew’s activities during the fourth day of the mission.

“During Flight Day 4, the astronauts aboard Orion went over plans to study the Moon during their upcoming lunar flyby and are currently practicing manually controlling the spacecraft,” NASA Artemis said in the announcement on social media.

Also Read: ‘We’re Moonbound’: NASA Shares Big Update As Artemis II Mission Astronauts Cross Halfway Mark To Moon