Earthrise captured through the Orion spacecraft window at 7:22 p.m. ET during the Artemis II crew’s flyby of the Moon’s far side. Taken with a 400 mm lens, the image shows both bodies oriented with their north poles to the left and south poles to the right, offering a unique perspective of our home planet from deep space. This photo was rotated 90 degrees clockwise for standard viewing orientation. Image Credit: NASA

At 5:07 p.m. PDT on April 10, 2026, the Artemis II crew splashed down near San Diego, concluding a 10-day mission. NASA and U.S. military teams recovered astronauts Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen via airlift to a recovery vessel. This mission validates deep-space operations essential for future Mars exploration. Image Credit: NASA / James Blair

The Orion capsule's safe deceleration relied on four specialized parachute designs executing a precisely timed deployment sequence. Image Credit: NASA

Artemis II Flyby Hug. A day after their lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts embraced in a group hug. Having trained as a team for three years, the crew noted in an interview that their bond with one another is what they will miss most about their spaceflight. Image Credit: NASA

An image of Earth captured by Reid Wiseman, commander of the Artemis II mission, following the engine burn that propelled the spacecraft toward the Moon. Image Credit: NASA / Reid Wiseman

Throughout the flight, the appearances of Earth and the Moon evolved rapidly for those aboard Orion. At one stage, Hansen described a gibbous Moon paired with a crescent Earth. This perspective culminated in an "Earthset" as the spacecraft circled behind the Moon's far side. Image Credit: NASA

Artemis II’s 120km flyby captured the first human-perspective imagery of the 950km Orientale Basin in 57 years. This pristine multi-ring structure offers researchers critical data on impact physics and planetary evolution during the seven-hour far-side transit. Image Credit: NASA

Vavilov is a prominent 98 km wide impact crater on the Moon's far side, located on the western rim of the massive Hertzsprung Basin. High-resolution imagery of Vavilov document its complex topography and "dark halo" of impact melt. Ejecta from Vavilov's formation created "chains" of secondary craters in the surrounding terrain, including V-shaped impacts on nearby elevated massifs. Image Credit: NASA

A crescent-shaped Earth appears exceptionally small in comparison to the Moon. From Orion's vantage point, the "Blue Marble" is shown just moments before disappearing behind the lunar limb. Image Credit: NASA

The boundary between light and dark on the Moon, known as the terminator. Slanted sunlight creates a dramatic play of shadows, making the terrain appear more textured. The deep shadows in valleys look like bottomless voids while peaks catch the light as bright islands. Image Credit: NASA

On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew witnessed a total solar eclipse when the Moon moved between their craft and the Sun. The Sun’s corona appears as a gentle halo, while Venus is visible as a striking silver glint on the left. Reflected light from Earth provides enough illumination to reveal faint details on the Moon’s surface. Image Credit: NASA

It is a custom-fitted, bright orange pressure suit worn by astronauts during launch, reentry, and emergencies. It serves as a personal survival craft, offering up to six days of life support in scenarios like cabin depressurization or fire. Key features include its high-visibility color for rescue, enhanced mobility and comfort, touch-screen compatible gloves, and integrated survival equipment. Image Credit: NASA

On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew safely observed a solar eclipse during their lunar flyby by using protective eclipse viewers. This event marked the first time a solar eclipse was safely viewed with such glasses from the Moon. Image Credit: NASA

The lunar surface fills the frame in sharp detail, as seen during the Artemis II lunar flyby, while a distant Earth sets in the background. This image was captured at 6:41 p.m. EDT, on April 6, 2026, just three minutes before the Orion spacecraft and its crew went behind the Moon and lost contact with Earth for 40 minutes before emerging on the other side. In this image, the dark portion of Earth is experiencing nighttime, while on its day side, swirling clouds are visible over the Australia and Oceania region. In the foreground, Ohm crater shows terraced edges and a relatively flat floor marked by central peaks — formed when the surface rebounded upward during the impact that created the crater. Image Credit: NASA

Wiseman peers out the window of the Orion spacecraft just as his first lunar observation period of the day begins. Throughout the course of the sixth day of the mission, the crew took turns at the windows, capturing images and video of the Moon, along with recorded observations. The astronauts are members of the science team, and the data they collect will shape the future of lunar science. Image Credit: NASA

Orion snapped this high-resolution selfie in space with a camera mounted on one of its solar array wings during a routine external inspection of the spacecraft on the second day into the Artemis II mission. Image and Caption Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon. Image and Caption Credit: NASA

A high-definition close-up illustrates the massive propulsion of NASA's SLS rocket during its initial ascent. As the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972, this launch marks a critical milestone in establishing a sustainable human presence in deep space. Image Credit: NASA

At 6:35 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the Artemis II mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew performed a 10-day journey circumnavigation of the Moon in their Orion spacecraft, which was propelled into orbit by the Space Launch System rocket.

On April 1, 2026, the Artemis II mission launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The crew, composed of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, embarked on a 10-day journey around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, propelled by the Space Launch System rocket. Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Combining power and capability, NASA’s Space Launch System rocket is part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration and Artemis. SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts, and cargo directly to the Moon in a single launch. Image Credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen—undertook a 10-day flight around the Moon. For their journey, they used a plush zero-gravity indicator named "Rise," which was inspired by the famous "Earthrise" image from Apollo 8. This indicator also held an SD card containing the names of millions of people who symbolically flew with the crew. Image Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett