Artemis-1: Orion captures a unique view of Earth from space

Hours after its launch from Cape Canaveral, the Space Launch System, powered by 4 million kilograms of thrust, lifted into space and deployed the Orion spacecraft on its way to the Moon. The mission began the journey for the return of humans to the lunar world that has remained untouched for more than five decades since the last Apollo-era astronauts walked on it.

With Orion now on course for the Moon, the onboard camera has captured a unique view of Earth from space. The image shows the planet swinging in the background in dim light. The rocket and spacecraft are provisioned with cameras that will collect valuable engineering data and share a unique perspective on humanity's return to the Moon.

Captured from a distance of 58,000 miles from Earth after the translunar injection, the image is reminiscent of old Apollo-era photographs of Earth captured by astronauts on their way to the Moon. NASA said a total of 24 cameras were launched on the mission, eight on SLS and 16 on Orion, to document essential mission events, including liftoff, ascent, solar array deployment, external rocket inspections, landing and recovery.

"Each of Orion's four solar array wings has a commercial off-the-shelf camera mounted at the tip that has been highly modified for use in space, providing a view of the spacecraft exterior," David Melendrez, imagery integration lead for the Orion Program at Nasa's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement.

Images and video collected by Orion cameras will come in various formats, from standard definition to high definition and up to 4K. Orion is also carrying Callisto, a technology demo camera with three in-cabin cameras used to test video conferencing capabilities from lunar orbit.