Hello, world: Artemis II astronauts capture 'amazing' views of Earth

As NASA's Artemis II mission forges ahead on its lunar journey, astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft have shared initial images of Earth, revealing its deep blue oceans, billowing clouds and even shimmering green auroras.

NASA released the first downlinked images of the Artemis II astronauts on Friday, as the four-person crew – Americans Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Canadian Jeremy Hansen – are currently en route to the moon.

The first photos, taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman, include a curved slice of Earth through one of Orion's windows and a full globe with oceans topped by cloud formations, with two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) visible as the Earth eclipses the sun.

NASA official Lakiesha Hawkins praised the photographs, calling them "amazing" during a briefing.

"It's great to think that with the exception of our four friends, all of us are represented in this image," said Hawkins, adding that the mission was going well.

The crew were more than 180,000 kilometers from Earth as of Friday afternoon. Their Friday's onboard schedule included a CPR demonstration, medical kit checks, and preparations for lunar scientific observations. NASA reported that all systems were functioning smoothly and that the crew were in "great spirits" and had communicated with their families.

The next major milestone of the approximately 10-day journey is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence" – when the moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.

If all goes smoothly, the astronauts could set a record for venturing farther from Earth than any human in history.

Artemis II is part of NASA's broader plan to establish a permanent lunar presence, which will serve as a platform for further exploration.

(With input from AFP)