Best moments captured by the Artemis II crew during their 10-day Moon mission

Somewhere between the Moon and home, the crew of Artemis II decided it was the perfect time for a group photo. The Artemis II crew, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman (left to right) took some time out during their space duty and posed for a click. The four can be spotted inside the Orion as the American and Canadian flags, too, waved in space. The image was captured on the seventh day of the mission, on April 7, 2026.

After swinging past the Moon like pros, Orion officially broke free from its gravitational grip on April 7. And as the four tightened their seat belts for a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10, they did not miss a chance to inform the world with four thumbs up that their trip to the Moon was perfect.

On the second day of Artemis II, the Orion carrying the four members was miles away from the skies of the Earth. And on their way to the Luna, one of the four crew members captured their home planet in all its glory. The picture was captured in April 2026, showcasing how our planet looks from space. 

One of the crew members went to the window of their space uber and clicked this picture. When the image was captured, Orion completed its translunar injection burn. It is a crucial procedure that sends the spacecraft on its path toward the Moon and back.

Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peered out of Orion's cabin windows as she spotted her home planet glowing in its nighttime. The image was captured by another member of the Artemis II crew as Koch tried to view the Earth while they were heading towards the Moon.

The Cosmic Cab for the Artemis II mission, aka NASA'S Orion Spacecraft, captured its self-portrait. The image was captured on April 7, 2026, at 8:33 a.m. ET when the star chariot was basically running a high-stakes sleepover with some very important guests on board. On the seventh day of their mission, while the Artemis II crew was fast asleep, one of the cameras fitted on the solar array wings of the Orion Spacecraft captured this shot. 

The Orion Spacecraft was designed as a next-gen space capsule for deep space missions. The spaceship can accommodate up to 6 members. It has a 300-cubic-foot cabin and also boasts a 5,000°F-capable heat shield for high-speed Earth reentry.

Orion captured a view that feels straight out of science fiction. However, this one is very much real. The shot was captured on their sixth day in the mission, on April 6, 2026, at 6:41 p.m. EDT. The image captures the crew's home planet, Earth, from its only natural satellite. The moment was captured when the Orion carrying the Artemis II crew looped around the Moon.

The planet showed up in muted blues and bright whites. The dark portion of the planet reveals the portion that is tucked into the nighttime already. While the other end, which captures Australia and the Oceania region, is glowing with swirling clouds. Now, if we shift our focus to the forefront of the picture, the Ohm Crater took the spotlight, which flaunted its terraced edges, flat floor, and central peaks.

As the Moon is on its usual business of rotating around the Earth, Artemis II captured a magical image. Here, the Earth appears like a distant spatial object as the Artemis II was just six minutes from its Earthset. Upon closely examining our very own planet, it is found to be in a crescent phase. 

While the dark side is nighttime, the visible area of sunlight can be spotted with a hovering cloud cover over Australia and the Oceania region. On the contrary, a close-up of a fraction of the Moon’s surface shows its rugged terrain and characteristic crater chains more prominent than ever.

During its ride in space, the Orion did not miss the chance to photobomb a solar eclipse. On April 6, 2026, one of Orion’s solar array cameras captured the sun’s glowing cosmic silhouette. However, in this image, the sun had to take the backseat as the Moon covered the whole of it, making Orion a witness to a solar eclipse. In the picture, Orion is visible in the foreground on the left side of the picture. But it wasn't just Orion who managed to peek into the camera.

On one corner of the picture, along the Moon’s edge, the Earth can be spotted shimmering faintly as it reflects the sunlight. Right below the Moon, the brightest dot you can spot is the ring king, Saturn. And right at the edge of the image, the other bright spot is Mars. Orion indeed managed to click a groupfie with the Moon, Sun, Earth, Saturn, and Mars.

Since time immemorial, the Moon has been subject to significant romanticism by the human race. But while it looks like a distant dreamy space object, the scientists inside the Artemis II decided to unravel more means of romantic intrigue by getting up close and personal. Basked in sunlight, the bright visible portion of the moon looks quite distinct with its signature pitted textures. 

Commonly known as ‘crater chains,’ these date back to almost 3.8 billion years ago. The picture perfectly captured these chains originating from an impact crater known as Orientale basin, having a substantial patch of lava at its center. And this is not a one-off sighting. Several other impact craters, too, have similar linear chains spanning over a large area. Interestingly, these chains also happened on Earth. But owing to rapid shifts in our tectonic plates, these marks have been erased by natural aging of the planet over rain, storms, winds, etc.

Accomplishing a Moon mission is not everyone’s cup of tea. And quite rightly, the crew took time out to pose for some lovely photographs. However, despite the mission being successful, en route back home, the Artemis II crew realized that they had forgotten something very important. A big, tight, loving hug! 

After getting to the far side of the moon on April 6, 2026, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover decided that it was time to bid adieu to the lunar sphere of influence. And it was at this exact moment, on April 7, 2026, that the crew decided to get together for a group hug, gratifying each other for the incredible work alongside the lovely time they spent on the Orion spacecraft.