Artemis II photos: Orion and astronauts return seen from space station
Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on the evening of April 10 (April 11 morning in India). During the moon mission, the astronauts and Orion took some beautiful photos of Earth and the Moon. These include new shots of the far side of the Moon and Earth.
Artemis II photos from space
The Artemis II spacecraft Orion is about to reach the Moon. The crew has shared several photos of the Moon and the Earth taken from Integrity in space. Mind-blowing pictures of Earth and the Moon offer a perspective that people cannot gain from the planet. The four astronauts are living extraordinary moments, and the photos also show their time inside the tiny capsule. Here are the photos from the Artemis II mission.
Artemis II: Earth photo from space
A photo 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. The photo also shows two auroras (top right and bottom left), besides the zodiacal light (bottom right) as the Earth eclipses the Sun.
Artemis II: Earth from space
Another view of Earth captured by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman. This image was also taken after the translunar injection burn on April 2.
Orion captures the Moon
This photo, taken from the Orion spacecraft on Day 2 of the Artemis II mission, shows the Moon in the distance. The picture was taken by a camera on the tip of one of the solar array wings on Orion.
NASA astronaut Christina Koch inside Orion
NASA astronaut Christina Koch is seen using a tablet inside the dimly lit Orion crew capsule in the photo taken on April 3, 2026. CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen is seen in profile towards the right, looking out of one of Orion’s windows. The cabin is dark since the lights were turned off to avoid glare on the windows.
Artemis II: Photo of Earth taken from space
Wiseman took another shot of Earth on April 4 as Orion travels towards the Moon. The photo was taken when the Artemis II spacecraft was more than two-thirds of the way to the Moon. NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen are on board the capsule.
Orientale basin on the Moon
This photo shows the Orientale basin, the youngest of the large lunar basins, on the right edge of the Moon. The Artemis II is the first mission to have humans see the entire basin with their eyes.
Artemis II: Earth appears as a crescent
The most mind-blowing image is of Earth, left behind by Orion in the vast expanse of the darkness of space. The photo was taken from near the display console on the Orion spacecraft. NASA wrote, "The Earth is illuminated by the blackness of space and grows smaller as the crew journeys closer to the Moon." The photo was taken on Day 5 of the Artemis II mission.
New photo shows Moon's far and near side together
This latest photo taken by the Orion spacecraft shows the near side of the Moon on the right and the far side on the left. This is the first time humans have seen the far side.
Last photo of Moon before epic lunar flyby
This image captured by astronauts aboard Orion shows the Moon for the last time before the crew carried out the historic flyby that took them farthest into space humans ever been.
Artemis II captures Moon and Earth in one frame
The Orion spacecraft captured Earth and the Moon in one frame, with our planet looking bluer and smaller in the photo.
Moon eclipses the Sun
Artemis II astronauts caught a mind-blowing eclipse right after they emerged from behind the Moon. Looking out the window of Orion, they were not prepared for what they saw. “Totality, beyond Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed,” the caption of the photo shared by The White House and reposted by NASA read.
Earthrise, the first photo from the far side of the Moon
A stunning shot of Earth rising as seen from the far side of the Moon. “Humanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon,” White House wrote alongside the photo shared by NASA on X.
Milky Way photo taken by Artemis II astronauts from Orion
Artemis II astronauts are not on their way home. En route, they captured yet another breathtaking shot. From Orion, they clicked a stunning shot of the Milky Way. “Sky full of stars. Following a successful lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, on April 7, 2026,” NASA wrote.
Solar Eclipse of the Heart
NASA shared this picture of the solar eclipse as seen by Orion. The photo was taken by one of the cameras on the spacecraft’s solar array wings.
Detailed photo of far side of the Moon
NASA has shared several pictures of the far side of the Moon taken by astronauts from Orion. They shows striking details on the far side of the Moon, such as craters and basins.
Artemis II halfway home photo
Artemis II is returning home soon, and new photos of Earth taken from the spacecraft have been released. This photo was taken by the Artemis II astronauts at the "halfway" mark between the Moon and the Earth.
Artemis II return captured from space station
Astronauts on the space station saw the Orion re-entering Earth's atmosphere. saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn’t see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we saw the wispy trail it left behind in the upper atmosphere. Astronaut Chris Williams shared the photo on X and wrote, “We first saw a bright light and a trail as the service module burned up. We didn’t see the Orion capsule itself as it re-entered, but we saw the wispy trail it left behind in the upper atmosphere.”
Artemis II splashdown
Artemis II spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific safely late April 10 evening.
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