NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft has commenced transmitting its initial images from deep space, capturing Earth from a vantage point not achieved by any crewed mission since Apollo.

The Orion capsule took off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, featuring Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency mission specialist Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day expedition around the moon — the first crewed lunar mission since 1972. Once Orion surpasses the International Space Station’s altitude of approximately 250 miles above Earth, Koch and Glover will set new spaceflight records for women and individuals of color.

When Artemis I undertook the identical journey in November 2022 sans crew, the Orion spacecraft promptly began relaying stunning views of Earth, gaining considerable attention. This time, four astronauts are aboard.

NASA is streaming visuals from Artemis II’s spacecraft throughout the mission. The stream description indicates that the broadcast begins with the ascent into space and concludes shortly before the return to Earth.

The crew is expected to establish a new distance record for human spaceflight on Flight Day 6, when Orion travels behind the moon. During the 45-minute communication blackout, the astronauts will capture images of the lunar far side — terrain never before seen directly by human eyes. These images will represent another milestone for the mission.

Orion is projected to splash down on April 10 off the coast of San Diego, where U.S. Navy teams will recover the crew and the capsule.