Algerian Radio
NASA has released the first images of Earth captured by the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission, currently en route to the Moon.
The Agency released the first images captured by the astronauts, including shots of Earth passing in front of the Sun. The images showed Planet Earth shining like a sapphire last Thursday night.
The last crewed mission to lunar orbit dates back to the Apollo program in 1972.
The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission reached the halfway point between Earth and the Moon this Saturday morning.
They will continue their approach to prepare for lunar orbit in the coming days, marking the first mission of its kind in over 53 years.
NASA posted on its social media accounts: “We are halfway there”.
Tracking data showed that the Orion spacecraft, carrying the four astronauts, is now at a distance of 219,000 kilometers from Earth. An equal distance must be covered to reach the Moon's vicinity.
The astronauts are documenting their time in space themselves using their smartphones and cameras, while NASA broadcasts live footage of them.
The mission launched from the state of Florida, USA, last Wednesday.
On Thursday, the spacecraft performed the critical burn required to exit Earth's orbit and then headed toward lunar orbit.
The mission relies on a physical mechanism known as a 'Free Return Trajectory,' where the Moon's gravity will pull the spacecraft to swing around it. Gravity will then slingshot the spacecraft back toward Earth, meaning that changing the mission's trajectory will be impossible. Consequently, the spacecraft cannot return to Earth until it has completed its orbit around the Moon.
The Artemis II mission aims to ensure all preparations are complete before the return of Americans to the lunar surface. This time, the astronauts seek to establish a lunar base as a precursor to planned missions toward planet Mars.
