TheArtemis II astronautsjust shared the most stunning view of Earth yetjust three daysinto theirhistoric mission around the moon.
Reminiscent of the iconic "blue marble" image captured during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, the first photo shows Earth in striking detail as the astronauts near a milestone distance of 100,000 miles away inspace. The image is perhaps among the clearest and most detailed views of our home planet in more than half-a-century after the Apollo-era photo became one of the most famous photographs of Earth.
Another image shared Friday, April 3, shows a view of Earth from within the Orion capsule three Americans and one Canadian are piloting on a10-day journey around the moon.
In the days ahead, the mission will see the astronauts become the first to ever lay eyes on a view of the far side of the moon that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.
Along the way, they'll test out systems and hardware to ensure NASA is ready toput boots on the lunar surfaceas early as 2028. The space agency's multibillion-dollar Artemis campaign is far from a reprise of its Apollo program, as the series of missions are aimed to set up a moon base toward the lunar south pole ahead of the firstcrewed expeditions to Mars.
Artemis II and it's crew of four lift off from Kennedy Space Center April 1, 2026 on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
People set cameras to photograph NASA's Artemis II lunar flyby mission, with the next-generation moon rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion crew capsule, on Pad 39B ahead of the launch of the Artemis II mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., March 31, 2026. The rocket is scheduled for an April 1, 2026, 6:24 p.m. launch of the 10-day mission." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The countdown clock runs as NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft sit on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Photographers set up remote cameras inside Pad 39B March 31, 2026 in advance of the launch of Artemis II." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
The Highland Mint in Melbourne, Fla. has minted an Artemis II collector coin." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
NASA's Artemis II Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft rest on Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on March 31, 2026, ahead of the crewed lunar mission." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> See the moment Artemis II lifts off for historic moon mission
Artemis IIand it's crew of four lift off from Kennedy Space Center April 1, 2026 on a 10-day mission around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
Here's a look at all the imagery shared so far from space early on into the Artemis II moon mission.
Artemis II pictures. See latest photos of Earth from NASA
NASA's latest photossharedfrom the Artemis II mission show a breathtaking view of Earth from the perspective of tens of thousands of miles away as the Orion capsule continues to transport the astronauts toward the moon.
The first image is of Earth peeking through the window of Orion's crew module, where the astronauts reside. Another shows all of Earth "lit up in spectacular blues and browns" as a "green aurora even lights up the atmosphere," NASA explained.
The new images come afterNASA released a photo on the second dayof the spaceflight that appeared to show the end of Orion's service module, where its main engine and auxiliary thrusters help propel and maneuver the vehicle.
The Artemis II astronauts have also appeared from inside Orion during live events beamed back to Earth, shown in screengrabs in the below gallery.
See photos from space during NASA's Artemis II mission so far
Where is Artemis II now? Location tracker
Want to follow the astronauts along the Artemis II lunar journey? NASAhas an Artemis II trackeravailableonlineand on itsmobile appthat allows users to see where Orion is, how fast it's traveling and how far the spacecraft is from both the Earth and the moon.
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The mobile version for smartphones even includes an augmented reality feature that allows users to move their phones to see where Orion is relative to Earth.
When will Artemis II reach the moon?
If all goes according to schedule,Artemis II is due to reach the moonand make a historic lunar flyby Monday, April 6.
Swooping around the moon's far side, the astronauts aboard Orion are expected to travelfarther from Earth than any humans ever have– surpassing the record of 248,655 miles set in 1970 during the infamousApollo 13mission. Whizzing by the moon up to 6,000 miles above the surface, the astronauts will also glimpse the celestial body's full disk, seeing sights that not even the Apollo astronauts witnessed.
Artemis II astronauts
Thecrew members of Artemis IIincludes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen.
The mission will make Glover the first Black man to venture within the vicinity of the moon, while Koch will become the first woman and Hansen the first Canadian to do so.
All three Americans are experienced astronauts who havebeen to space beforeon ventures to theInternational Space Station, while Hansen, a veteran aviator, is making his first spaceflight.
The crew of Artemis II (from left: Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Pilot Victor Glover and Commander Reid Wiseman) answer questions at a press conference as their Space Launch System rocket is transported to Pad 39B January 17, 2026. Artemis II is tentatively scheduled to launch on a mission to th Moon in early February. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
NASA's Artemis 2 mission to fly 4 astronauts around moon. Photos of crew
How long is the Artemis II mission? Here's when they'll land on Earth
With the moon rendezvous complete, the astronauts will then make a four-day journey back to Earth, using our planet's gravity to naturally "slingshot," orpull Orion back home, negating the need for propulsion or much fuel.
Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, a protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.
The capsule will then make a water landing likely Friday, April 10, in the Pacific Ocean near California off the coast of San Diego, after which five orange airbags will inflate around the top of the spacecraft and flip the capsule into an upright position. After the landing, the crew would exit the vehicle onto a U.S. Navyrecovery vesselwithin about two hours.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NASA shares new photos from Artemis II mission. Take a look