Flat earthers on the devices: NASA published a photo of the Earth from space: ‘Good morning, world’

The photos came shortly after the crew successfully performed a key maneuver that sent Orion on its way to the Moon, marking the beginning of a new chapter in human space exploration.

Look at the photos

The view from Orion: A “phenomenal” sight that takes your breath away

The photos, taken by mission commander Reid Wiseman, provide a unique and surreal view of Earth. One of them shows our planet as a glowing blue ball in the endless darkness of space, taken through the window of the Orion capsule.

The image clearly shows the outlines of the continents, swirls of clouds, and the two polar lights, green auroras that dance at the top and bottom of the planet, give a special look. In the lower right corner, the zodiacal light is also visible while the Earth blocks the Sun.

The second photo foregrounds part of the Orion spacecraft’s service module, while the Earth recedes in the background, serving as a reminder of the home the astronauts are temporarily leaving.

The crew’s reactions to this sight were filled with admiration. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen described the view as “phenomenal” and added that the crew members were “glued to the windows”, watching their home planet shrink in the distance.

These pictures are not only technically accomplished, but also and an emotional moment that connects the public with brave researchers on their way into the unknown.

A new era of research

The Artemis II mission is more than just a trip around the Moon; it symbolizes humanity’s return to deep space and lays the foundations for future, even more ambitious goals, such as establishing a permanent base on the moon and sending people to Mars.

NASA’s Lori Glaze highlighted the excitement within the agency, stressing that this marks the beginning of a new era in which humans once again leave the safety of low Earth orbit.

This mission is also historic because of its crew. Along with commander Reid Wiseman, the Orion capsule also includes pilot Victor Glover, the first black person on a lunar mission, Christina Koch, the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency, the first non-American. Their journey also has an interesting specificity that Koch pointed out before the mission.

​- We will be looking back towards an Earth where not all humans are found. It is new and different. Our colleagues will still be in orbit on the International Space Station – she said.

It is the first time in history that astronauts on the way to the moon look at the Earth and know that other people are also staying in space at that moment.

The journey to the moon and breaking records

The crew of the Artemis II mission was launched on Wednesday, April 1, from the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the same one that sent the legendary Apollo missions into space. After a successful launch and several orbits around the Earth, on Thursday night, the Orion spacecraft performed a key maneuver known as “translunar injection”. By starting the engine, the capsule got the necessary acceleration to break away from the Earth’s gravity and begin the four-day journey towards the Moon.

According to the plan, Orion will not land on the Moon, but He will get used to it and use its gravity to return home. The spacecraft is expected to reach the Moon on Monday, April 6, when it will fly by about 6,400 kilometers from its surface.

At that moment, the crew also broke the record of the Apollo 13 mission from 1970 for the greatest distance from Earth that humans have ever been, traveling more than 400,000 kilometers from our planet.

The entire mission should last ten days, and the return and landing in the Pacific Ocean is scheduled for April 10.

*with the use of AI