HOUSTON (AP) — The Artemis II astronauts are now forever intertwined with Apollo 8. A day after the historic lunar flyaround, NASA on Tuesday released striking new photos taken by the U.S.-Canadian crew. The four astronauts channeled Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise shot from 1968 with their own Earthset, showcasing our planet setting behind the gray, pockmarked moon. Another photo captures the total solar eclipse that occurred when the moon blocked the sun from the crew’s perspective. The three Americans and one Canadian are now headed home, with a splashdown in the Pacific set for Friday. In the meantime, scientists at Houston’s Mission Control are poring over the stream of moon photos beaming down. Apollo 8’s astronauts became the world’s first lunar visitors, orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve 1968. Their Earthrise shot became a symbol of the modern-day environmental movement. Artemis II marks NASA’s first return to the moon with astronauts — a critical step toward a lunar landing by another crew in two years.
Artemis II Astronauts Connect with Apollo 8 in Historic Lunar Mission
Artemis II Astronauts Connect with Apollo 8 in Historic Lunar Mission
NASA's Artemis II mission successfully channels lunar iconography, unveiling stunning images taken by its crew from the moon's orbit, including an Earthset photo that mirrors the iconic Earthrise of Apollo 8.
The Artemis II crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, has completed a successful lunar flyaround, capturing incredible images that link their mission to the historic Apollo 8 mission. These include a striking Earthset photo and a view of a solar eclipse. As they prepare for a splashdown in the Pacific, the mission marks NASA's significant step towards returning astronauts to the moon and indicates a future lunar landing.
