Artemis II crew shares chilling photo from space as capsule prepares to shoot around dark side of the Moon

James Saunders
Mon, 06 Apr 2026 01:58:41 +0000

The crew of Artemis II have shared a chilling new photo of Earth as they approach the furthest point of their mission to the Moon.

The four pioneering astronauts are due to reach the dark side of the Moon on Monday, travelling deeper into space than any humans in history in the process.

Over the weekend, Nasa released a new tranche of images from their journey.

One, titled "One Day Closer to the Moon", shows a view of a very distant Earth from the Orion capsule's window.

Our entire planet can be seen as a tiny blue crescent alone in the darkness of space.

It sparked a mixed reaction from viewers online - while many were awestruck, others said the shot looked terrifying.

"This looks terrifying to me. Thousands of miles away from home and hoping for the best the ship equipment keeps you alive," one said.

Another added: "Hard to wrap your head around that scale without seeing it first-hand. Safe travels to the crew; keep the amazing photos coming."

Nasa has hailed the mission's progress since the crew launched on Wednesday.

Three Americans and one Canadian are on track to set a new distance record from Earth.

"The Earth is quite small, and the Moon is definitely getting bigger," pilot Victor Glover reported after the spacecraft fired a thruster to leave Earth's orbit.

These are the first astronauts heading to the Moon in over 50 years after the Apollo programme concluded in 1972.

The mission has been sending back valuable data and images, but the crew have encountered a critical problem with one vital piece of tech: the Orion capsule's toilet.

Mission control has told the astronauts to use backup urine collection bags until the issue is resolved.

The commode broke down after liftoff and has only worked intermittently since.

Engineers believe ice may be blocking a line that prevents urine from flushing overboard properly.

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The toilet remains functional for solid waste.

Debbie Korth, deputy manager of Nasa's Orion programme, said the crew had also noticed an odour from the bathroom area.

"Space toilets and bathrooms are something everybody can really understand… it's always a challenge," she said.

The crew's spirits remain high despite the bathroom troubles.

On Sunday, the astronauts were woken by singer Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club, and started their day with scrambled eggs and coffee.

"Morale is high onboard," Commander Reid Wiseman told Houston mission control.

He also had an emotional moment after speaking with his daughters from space.

"We're up here, we're so far away, and for a moment, I was reunited with my little family," he told a live press conference. "It was just the greatest moment of my entire life."

Nasa released an image showing the Orientale Basin, sometimes called the Moon's "Grand Canyon".

"It's very distinctive and no human eyes previously had seen this crater until today, really, when we were privileged enough to see it," astronaut Christina Koch said.

The astronauts entered the "lunar sphere of influence" overnight, where the Moon's gravity will exert a stronger pull than Earth's.

During the roughly six-hour flyby, the crew will pass within just over 4,000 miles of the lunar surface.

Apollo missions flew approximately 70 miles above the Moon, but the greater distance will allow the Artemis crew to view the complete spherical surface, including the poles.

Artemis II forms part of Nasa's broader ambition to establish a permanent lunar base.

The agency aims to land two crew members near the lunar south pole in 2028.