NASA Artemis II News

The images capture Earth's full splendor, with vivid ocean blues, earthy land browns, and a striking green aurora lighting up the atmosphere. "We see our home planet as a whole, lit up in spectacular blues and browns. A green aurora even lights up the atmosphere. That's us, together, watching as our astronauts make their journey to the Moon," NASA added.

A crew of four astronauts has boarded their spacecraft in anticipation of this landmark flight, which represents a major milestone in lunar exploration. However, the mission faced an initial setback at the Kennedy Space Center as the launch was delayed from its "scheduled 6:24 PM ET liftoff" while technical teams worked to address emerging issues.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is designed to send four astronauts on a roughly 10-day journey around the Moon, serving as a critical systems test for future lunar landings and eventual human missions to Mars while supporting plans for a sustained lunar presence.

NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts, and nearly a million names, on a historic journey around the Moon in 2026. Here’s how you can submit your name and be part of humanity’s next giant leap.