Don't miss these breathtaking photos of Artemis II NASA shared
Don't miss these breathtaking photos of Artemis II NASA shared
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAYMon, April 6, 2026 at 11:15 AM UTC
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Don't miss these breathtaking photos of Artemis II NASA shared
More breathtaking images released over the weekend from NASA's Artemis II mission show both the moon and Earth in all its cosmic glory as four astronauts head toward our celestial neighbor.
The crew members of Artemis II are within sight of the moon and preparing to set a record for humanity as they fly beyond the lunar surface while nearly a quarter-of-a-million miles from Earth. The mission began April 1 with a launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but it wasn't until Friday, April 3, that the astronauts got the green light to leave Earth orbit behind and make for the moon.
Along the journey, the three Americans and one Canadian have captured some incredible views, the likes of which haven't been seen since NASA's era of Apollo moon missions came to an end more than 50 years ago.
1 / 0See the moment Artemis II lifts off for historic moon mission
Artemis II and it’s crew of four lift off from Kennedy Space Center April 1, 2026 on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
Here's a look at all the photos NASA has shared of the Artemis II mission as the astronauts prepare for a historic lunar flyby.
Artemis II photos
Did you miss out on seeing the latest photos, which NASA shared in a series of social media updates between Friday, April 3, and Sunday, April 5?
The below gallery includes all the latest imagery from the trailblazing Artemis II mission.
1 / 0See photos from space during NASA's Artemis II mission so farArtemis II crew members Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover answer questions from reporters during the first downlink event of their mission.NASA's latest Artemis II photos show moon, Earth, astronauts
NASA's latest photos of the Artemis II mission offer a variety of views and perspectives of the Artemis II mission around the moon.
Among the images are the first views the astronauts had of the moon, as well as their final sights of Earth before they reached the moon's sphere of influence, where Earth's natural satellite began exerting a stronger gravitational pull on the Orion vehicle. The photographs also offer a glimpse to what life is like aboard Orion, the 11 feet high and 16 1/2 feet wide spacecraft that is their home throughout the duration of the mission.
Artemis II approaches moon, prepares for historic lunar flyby
Artemis II is due to reach the moon and make a historic lunar flyby Monday, April 6.
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Swooping around the moon's far side, the astronauts aboard Orion are expected to travel farther from Earth than any humans ever have – surpassing the record of 248,655 miles set in 1970 during the infamous Apollo 13 mission. Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.
While they won't be landing, their observations and the data they collect will be vital as NASA prepares to return humans to the lunar surface as early as 2028.
After making their closest approach to the moon, the astronauts will prepare to pilot the Orion spacecraft back to Earth's orbit, where Friday, April 10, they will reenter our home planet's atmosphere for a parachute-assisted water landing near San Diego off the coast of California.
Where is Artemis II now? Location tracker
Want to follow the astronauts along the Artemis II lunar journey? NASA has an Artemis II tracker available online and on its mobile app that allows users to see where Orion is, how fast it's traveling and how far the spacecraft is from both the Earth and the moon.
The mobile version for smartphones even includes an augmented reality feature that allows users to move their phones to see where Orion is relative to Earth.
Who are the Artemis II astronauts?
1 / 0NASA's Artemis 2 mission to fly 4 astronauts around moon. Photos of crewNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stands with the Artemis II crew during an SLS rollout press briefing.
The crew members of Artemis II includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen.
The mission will make Glover the first Black man to venture within the vicinity of the moon, while Koch will become the first woman and Hansen the first Canadian to do so.
All three Americans are experienced astronauts who have been to space before on ventures to the International Space Station, while Hansen, a veteran aviator, is making his first spaceflight.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA dropped more Artemis II photos over the weekend. Don't miss them
Source: “AOL Breaking”
