NASA has unveiled a breathtaking collection of high-definition photographs following the Artemis 2 mission’s remarkable lunar flyby, which took place one day earlier. The imagery showcases stunning views of our planet setting and rising over the moon’s surface, a solar eclipse illuminating the lunar landscape, and various perspectives of the moon’s far side along with the astronauts who captured these moments.
These photographs were acquired during a seven-hour observation window at the mission’s most distant point during its 10-day journey aboard the Orion spacecraft. This historic flight represents humanity’s first crewed lunar expedition since the Apollo 17 mission over five decades ago in 1972. The astronauts traveled an unprecedented 252,756 miles from our planet, venturing more than 4,000 miles past the moon itself.
Among the remarkable images is an Earthset photograph showing our world descending below the moon’s horizon, with an Earthrise image captured approximately 40 minutes afterward as Earth emerged on the opposite side. These photographs echo the significance of the iconic Earthrise photograph captured by astronaut Bill Anders during the Apollo 8 mission’s lunar orbit in 1968.
That original Earthrise image became one of the Apollo program’s most celebrated photographs, though it required many years to definitively establish Anders as the photographer. Anders maintained a modest attitude about receiving credit for the shot. Following his extensive career spanning NASA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, diplomatic service, and private enterprise, he made his home in Western Washington and established the Heritage Flight Museum in Burlington, Washington. Tragically, he perished in an aircraft accident in the waters near the San Juan Islands two years ago at age 90.
The connections between Artemis 2 and the Pacific Northwest extend beyond Anders and the original Earthrise photograph. Critical components manufactured in the Seattle region contributed
significantly to the mission’s success. The L3Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne facility located in Redmond developed Orion’s primary engine and manufactured several of its thruster systems. Meanwhile, Karman Space Systems’ Mukilteo manufacturing plant supplied mechanisms for both the parachute deployment system and emergency hatch release system aboard Orion.
The four-person Artemis 2 crew consists of NASA’s mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Following the flyby, they were scheduled for rotating rest periods as their spacecraft continues its coast toward a Pacific Ocean splashdown scheduled for Friday. A communications session between the Artemis crew and the International Space Station astronauts was planned for 2:40 p.m. Eastern Time, with public access available through YouTube.
Throughout the night following the flyby, NASA’s imaging specialists worked extensively to process the photographs captured by the Artemis 2 astronauts. These images are being published to NASA’s dedicated lunar flyby image gallery for public viewing.
The released imagery includes a remarkable solar eclipse photograph showing the moon completely blocking the sun’s disk, creating nearly 54 minutes of total eclipse—an extended viewing opportunity impossible to achieve from Earth’s surface. The crew utilized protective eclipse glasses during partial phases of the eclipse, marking their first use at the moon for safe solar observation, though the glasses were unnecessary during totality.
Additional photographs document various lunar features, including the 600-mile-diameter Orientale Basin impact crater with its ancient lava center, and the heavily cratered South Pole-Aitken Basin terrain. This basin represents the moon’s largest and oldest impact structure, offering insights into billions of years of geological history. NASA has designated the south polar region as the target area for the Artemis program’s inaugural crewed landing, currently scheduled for no earlier than 2028.
Interior cabin photographs show astronauts Glover and Koch observing and photographing the moon through Orion’s windows. During their closest approach, the crew passed within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface while circumnavigating the far side over their seven-hour observation period.