CAPE CANAVERAL, United States: The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission to the moon have sent back the first images of Earth, with NASA astronaut Victor Glover saying from the Orion capsule: "You look amazing. You look beautiful," reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Glover, his US colleagues Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen are the first humans to travel to the moon in more than 50 years.
They lifted off on Wednesday (April 1) aboard the Orion capsule using the Space Launch System rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida.
Around 24 hours later, they left Earth's orbit using a special manoeuvre.
Another roughly 24 hours later, they have now completed about half of the journey to the moon.
During this time, the astronauts have been carrying out numerous scientific tests and training tasks.
Artemis II builds on the experience gained from the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022.
The crew is expected to spend about 10 days in space aboard the Orion capsule and fly around the moon before the capsule is due to splash down in the sea back on Earth.
For Glover, Koch and Wiseman, it is their second flight into space, while it is Hansen's first.
Koch is the first woman on board a NASA moon mission, Glover the first non-white person and Hansen the first Canadian. – Bernama/dpa
This handout picture provided by NASA shows a view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's four main windows after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive NASA rocket April 1 on a long-anticipated journey around the Moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. With an intense roar that reverberated far beyond the launchpad, the enormous orange-and-white rocket carried three Americans and one Canadian away from Florida's Kennedy Space Center at approximately 6:35 pm local time, according to an AFP journalist onsite. "We're going to the Moon!" yelled a spectator. – Reid Wiseman/NASA/AFP
A view of 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. The image features two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun. – NASA/Handout via REUTERS
This handout picture provided by NASA shows Earth as seen through the Orion spacecrafts window, photographed by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of Artemis II, on April 3, 2026, after completing the translunar injection burn. Four astronauts blasted off aboard a massive NASA rocket April 1 on a long-anticipated journey around the Moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. – Reid Wiseman/NASA/AFP
This handout picture provided by NASA shows the Orion spacecraft with the Moon in the distance, as captured by a camera on the tip of one of its solar array wings, on April 3, 2026. As Artemis II astronauts forged ahead on their lunar mission, NASA released initial images taken from the Orion spacecraft, including a full portrait of Earth featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds. After a flurry of high-stakes activity including a dramatic blast-off and an engine firing that catapulted them on their historic trajectory to circle the Moon, the four astronauts aboard were able to catch their breath, even as they continued to perform a variety of equipment checks and tests. – Reid Wiseman/NASA
This handout picture provided by NASA shows the Orion spacecraft captured by 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, on April 3, 2026. As Artemis II astronauts forged ahead on their lunar mission, NASA released initial images taken from the Orion spacecraft, including a full portrait of Earth featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds. After a flurry of high-stakes activity including a dramatic blast-off and an engine firing that catapulted them on their historic trajectory to circle the Moon, the four astronauts aboard were able to catch their breath, even as they continued to perform a variety of equipment checks and tests. – Reid Wiseman/NASA/AFP
NASA 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 April 2, 2026. – NASA/Reuters
This screen grab from NASA's feed released on April 3, 2026, shows the four Artemis II crew members (L-R) Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II mission specialist (hidden), NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Artemis II commander, Christina Koch, Artemis II mission specialist and Victor Glover, Artemis II pilot as they head to orbit the Moon for the first time in more than half a century. The spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 18:35 EDT the previous day. – NASA/AFP
This screengrab from a NASA live broadcast video shows (L-R) NASA astronaut and Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Artemis II Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman during a press call as they travel to the Moon in the Orion spacecraft, on April 3, 2026. The four Artemis astronauts have passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon on the way to their planned lunar flyby, NASA said on Friday evening. "You are now closer to the moon than you are to us on Earth," mission control told the astronauts at around 11 pm (0400 GMT), according to the space agency's official live broadcast. – NASA/AFP
Artemis II controllers monitor the progress of the Orion spacecraft in the White Flight Control Room at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2026. Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the Moon late April 2 after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits NASA to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century. With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted the astronauts on their trajectory towards the Moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis II mission. – AFP
Artemis II controllers monitor the progress of the Orion spacecraft in the White Flight Control Room at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on April 3, 2026. Four Artemis astronauts were zooming towards the Moon late April 2 after a major engine firing, a milestone that commits NASA to the first crewed lunar flyby in more than half a century. With enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway driving speed in less than three seconds, the Orion capsule engine blasted the astronauts on their trajectory towards the Moon, which they now will loop as part of the 10-day Artemis II mission. – AFP
