NASA shows unique image of Earth for the first time in 54 years
Photo: Earth (Getty Images)
A NASA astronaut took a unique photo of Earth from the Orion spacecraft during a flight to the Moon. It became the first such image in 54 years, according to NASA.
The photo was taken after the maneuver to enter the trajectory toward the Moon.
It shows several rare phenomena at once. In particular, auroras are visible in the upper right and lower left parts of the frame, while zodiacal light can be seen in the lower right corner.
Photo: a view of Earth from the Orion spacecraft (nasa.gov)
This phenomenon occurs when sunlight reflects off cosmic dust, which is why it is barely visible from Earth.
What is known about the mission
Artemis 2 is essentially a "dress rehearsal" ahead of returning humans to the Moon’s surface. It is the first stage of NASA’s modern lunar program, during which humans will be aboard the spacecraft.
Key facts explaining the mission:
- Return after half a century. This is the first time since 1972 (after the end of the Apollo program) that humanity has left low Earth orbit to travel into deep space toward another celestial body.
- A major test for the hardware. The Orion spacecraft and the powerful SLS rocket were already tested without a crew in 2022. Now the main task is to evaluate how critical life-support systems perform under real conditions, including air filtration, communication with Earth, and navigation.
- No landing. During Artemis 2, the astronauts will not land on the Moon. The spacecraft will fly around the Moon on a "free-return" trajectory and head back to Earth.
- Path to landing. The success of this mission will pave the way for the next step — Artemis 3. During that mission, humans are expected to once again step onto the lunar surface after decades.
In essence, Artemis 2 is meant to demonstrate that NASA’s new technologies are sufficiently safe and reliable for long-duration human spaceflight.
The Artemis II mission encountered its first technical difficulties during the flight to the Moon. In particular, the crew reported a malfunction in the spacecraft’s toilet system.
The astronauts noticed a flashing fault indicator signaling an issue with the controller and contacted ground specialists.
