NASA has published 12,000 new photos taken by the Artemis 2 astronauts during their mission around the moon in April.
The images were taken during the 10-day mission, which launched on April 1, made its closest approach to the moon on April 6 and splashed down on Earth on April 10.
Where to see the new Artemis 2 images
Published on the Gateway To Astronaut Photography Of Earth website, the images include thousands of never-before-seen views of Earth and the moon. They also include images of the interior of Integrity, the name given to NASA’s Orion spacecraft by NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
How to find the new Artemis 2 images
Viewing the images manually is a little complicated. On the website’s search tab, scroll down to “Search Using Other Methods” and select “NASA Photo ID Search.” Then enter the code for the Artemis 2 mission — ART002-E — and select “Run Query.” You’ll then have 12,000 images to scroll through, though much of the data hasn’t been entered yet. For example, you can check the focal length of each shot, the date it was taken, and the geographical coordinates, but not always the photographer or details about any features. Here’s a shortcut link.
Is there an easier way to see the new Artemis 2 images?
There is another easier — and more pleasant — way to peruse the new images. As reported by EarthSky, science communicator Hank Green has built Artemis Timeline, a website that displays the best Artemis 2 mission photos in chronological order.
During the mission, the Artemis II astronauts sent back many images, many of which were published at low resolution on NASA’s Artemis II Multimedia website. For example, a folder called “Artemis II Lunar Flyby Gallery” contains 86 images. They can also be viewed on NASA’s Flickr page. This new trove adds many more, and in much higher resolution.
Where do the new Artemis 2 images come from?
The new images are taken straight from the SD cards in the cameras on Integrity. On board were two Nikon D5 cameras, a Nikon Z9 camera, and a variety of zoom and wide-angle lenses. The astronauts also used iPhones, while GoPro action cameras were fixed to the outside of the Orion spacecraft.
What were the best images from Artemis 2?
During their seven-hour flyby of the moon’s far side, the Artemis 2 crew captured hundreds of images, including views never before seen by human eyes. Among the highlights were a solar eclipse, Earthrise and Earthset, and six meteoroid impacts flashing across the lunar surface. They also documented impact craters, ancient lava flows and surface fractures that will help scientists study the moon’s geologic evolution.
When is NASA’s Artemis 3 mission?
NASA’s Artemis program is designed as a step-by-step return to the moon, ultimately culminating in a permanent moon base:
- Artemis I – Uncrewed test flight that successfully orbited the moon and returned to Earth (completed in 2022)
- Artemis II – First crewed mission, flying astronauts around the moon (completed 2026)
- Artemis III – Planned mission to test docking with SpaceX/Blue Origin lunar lander in Earth orbit ahead of a lunar landing (expected 2027)
- Artemis IV – Expected to deliver astronauts to the moon’s surface, targeting the south pole (expected 2028–2029)
- Artemis V – A follow-up mission aimed at expanding lunar exploration capabilities (expected 2029–2030)
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
