NASA's Artemis II crew are quite the photographers. See what they've snapped so far

NPR | By Ayana Archie

Published April 3, 2026 at 8:30 PM EDT

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. NASA's Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard their Orion spacecraft.

It has only been a couple days since NASA successfully launched astronauts to the moon for the first time in over half a century. But the Artemis II mission's four-person crew has already delivered striking postcards from their journey: behind-the-scenes photos of what they've been up to in the cabin, and jaw-dropping visuals of the planet we call home.

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman snapped a photo of the Earth nearly eclipsing the Sun, and what's known as zodiacal light nearby — which, during an eclipse, takes a triangular shape when sunlight bounces off of dust particles. In the same image, Earth is flanked by the northern and southern auroras at its top right and bottom left.

Another photo, also by Wiseman, shows Earth's terminator line, which separates day from night.

The crew is working with NASA's science team to determine what other photos may be of interest once they start to orbit the moon, said Lakiesha Hawkins, the acting deputy associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.

But don't just read about them. Take a look for yourself.

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from of the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. The image features two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

Artemis II crew members Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover answer questions from reporters during the first downlink event of their mission.

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.

A view of a backlit Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026.