On April 22, 2026, NASA shared a video from the Artemis II mission showing astronaut Christina Koch’s face illuminated solely by Earthshine inside the Orion spacecraft, captured on an iPhone while the vehicle was approximately 33,800 miles from Earth.
The footage, taken on the mission’s second day, highlights how sunlight reflected off Earth lit the cabin interior, with Koch later flipping the camera to reveal the planet outside the spacecraft’s window. The clip was posted by the NASA Artemis account on X and quickly drew attention from space enthusiasts for its intimate view of life beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, carrying NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission marked the first crewed flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and concluded with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10, after the crew reached a record distance of 252,756 miles from Earth — the farthest humans have ever traveled.
During the mission, the crew conducted a range of activities beyond photography, including geological training in Iceland’s volcanic terrain to prepare for future lunar surface operations. They also trained extensively with the Orion Crew Survival System, the orange suit designed to sustain life for up to six days in emergency scenarios, practicing operations in simulated weightlessness and pressurized environments.
In addition to the Earthshine video, the crew captured other notable images shared around Earth Day 2026. On April 2, Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth from Orion’s window, showing the terminator — the line between day and night — cutting across the planet. The image was compared to the iconic “blue marble” shot from Apollo 17 in 1972. Earlier in the mission, the crew also captured an “Earthset,” where Earth disappeared below the lunar horizon, echoing the famous “Earthrise” image from Apollo 8 in 1968.
For more on this story, see Artemis II Space Wallpapers and Tech: NASA’s Moon Mission Gadgets.
These visuals were part of a broader effort to document the mission for public engagement and scientific reflection. NASA emphasized that such imagery supports the Artemis program’s goals of lunar exploration for scientific discovery, economic development, and preparation for future human missions to Mars.
The use of an iPhone to record the Earthshine video underscored the accessibility of space documentation, showing that even consumer-grade devices can capture meaningful moments in deep space. While professional-grade cameras on the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft provided engineering and navigation data, the personal footage offered a human-scale perspective on the mission’s emotional and aesthetic dimensions.
Recovery operations after splashdown involved NASA and U.S. Navy teams securing the Orion spacecraft, assisting the crew out of the capsule, and transporting them by helicopter to a naval recovery ship. The spacecraft was then brought aboard for return to shore, completing the mission’s final phase.
Throughout the flight, the crew participated in “Moon Talks,” reflecting on the personal and professional significance of the mission. These discussions, shaped by years of training, were shared as part of NASA’s effort to connect the technical achievements of Artemis with broader human experiences of space exploration.
Why did NASA share an iPhone video from the Artemis II mission?
NASA shared the iPhone video to highlight a unique moment during the mission where Earth’s reflected light illuminated the astronaut’s face inside the Orion spacecraft, offering a personal and visually striking perspective on spaceflight that resonates with public interest in space exploration.
How far did the Artemis II crew travel from Earth?
At their farthest point, the Artemis II crew reached a distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a new record for the greatest distance humans have traveled in space.
