snapshots of Earth that evoke the "blue marble" pictures taken by Apollo astronauts are being sent back by NASA as it heads for the moon.
The photographer is a robot that was built into the camera system for Artemis 1
The round-the-Moon odyssey got off to a spectacular start early today with the first launch of NASA's Space Launch System, and over the next 25 days, it's due to blaze a trail for future crewed trips to the moon.
A camera mounted on one of the solar array's pivoted around to take a picture of the European-built service module in the foreground.
"Orion looking back at Earth as it travels towards the Moon, 57,000 miles away from the place we call home," NASA'sSandra Jones said as the imagery came down.
The main purpose of the cameras is to keep an eye on how the capsule's components perform.
There are four solar array cameras that can take pictures of Earth and the moon.
A lot of people have an impression of Earthrise based on the classic Apollo 8 shot, according to an online primer on the camera system.
Earthrise, Orion's farthest distance from Earth, and lunar flyby are some of the milestone events that will be captured during the mission.
Time lapse footage from @NASA_Orion as #Artemis I journeys to the Moon. Orion is scheduled to make its closest approach to the vicinity of the Moon on Nov. 21.🌙 pic.twitter.com/6ki89b8lHk
— NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) November 17, 2022
The first 24 hours of the mission saw the deployment of 10 small satellites from the Space Launch System's upper stage, as well as snapping selfies with Earth.
The lunar ice cube will be looking for signs of water ice. LunIR will take pictures of the lunar surface.
NASA's NEA Scout is built to unfurl a solar sail and fly away to study an asteroid, while Japan's Omotenashi satellite will attempt to make a survivable landing on the Moon.
As a test run for a crewed round-the-Moon mission scheduled for 2024 and a crewed lunar landing scheduled for 25 years from now, the Artemis 1 team will be keeping a close eye on how the test run goes.
Three mannequins are sitting in the seats of the spaceship to collect data about radiation exposure and other aspects of the space environment
On November 21st, the mission will make its closest approach to the moon at an altitude of about 60 miles.
The main engine of the spaceship will be fired and it will be able to maneuver into a looping circle around the Moon.
When the acid test comes, it will be at a speed of 24,500 mph.
The first time that the heat shield will be put through a real-world trial will be on December 11th, when the heat shield will be used for the first time.
The multi-billion dollar Artemis 1 program has come in for some criticism. The cost of this mission alone is said to be more than four billion dollars.
The launch was praised by the White House.
NASA's Artemis is in flight.
This ship will enable the first woman and first person of color to set foot on the lunar surface and will lead countless students to become explorers and show America's limitless possibilities to the world. pic.twitter.com/mIEZdVcB6M
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