Artemis II photos show first Earth images since the 1970s

Artemis II's four-person Orion crew is en route to the moon on a 10-day mission and has sent back photographs that reports say include the first images of Earth since December 1972.

Artemis II is underway with four astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft on a 10-day mission to the moon. The crew launched from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and spent their first full day in space testing the Orion capsule's systems. Reports say the spacecraft is more than halfway to the moon and is scheduled for a lunar flyby on Monday. The mission has returned photographs, which the article reports include the first images of Earth since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Key details: - The crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. - The team launched from Kennedy Space Center and conducted systems checks during the first full day in orbit. - The mission is described as a roughly 10-day journey and is reported to be more than halfway to the moon. - A lunar flyby is scheduled for Monday during the mission's transit. - The article reports that photographs returned so far include what are called the first images of Earth since December 1972. - Jeremy Hansen participated in a live video call about three days into the mission and said the crew has seen striking views of Earth and a crescent Earth, and that scientists told them to expect an eclipse of the sun behind the moon. Summary: The mission continues its transit and is sending imagery back to Earth, with more visuals expected as Artemis II approaches the far side of the moon. The next planned milestone is the lunar flyby on Monday.