Nasa Releases Historic Photo of Earth from the Moon’s Far Side

Nasa has unveiled the first-ever image of Earth from the far side of the moon, captured by an astronaut during the Artemis II mission. President Donald Trump described the astronaut as a “pioneer of our time” following a phone conversation after the spacecraft’s flyby.

This remarkable image, the first taken from this specific viewpoint, drew comparisons to the famous “Earthrise” photo by astronaut Bill Anders, taken during the Apollo 8 mission almost 60 years ago. Nasa has named this photo “Earth Set” in homage to that historic image.

The White House shared the photo with the caption: “Humanity, from the other side,” reflecting on the moment as the Earth dips below the moon’s horizon.

In a call with the Artemis II crew, President Trump expressed his pride, stating, “Today, you made history and really made all of America proud.” He acknowledged the significance of manned space missions, calling the event “truly special” and personally congratulated the crew members including Commander Reed Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover.

Nasa noted that the Earth-set photo was taken through the Orion spacecraft’s window as they approached the moon around 7 p.m. ET, but they didn’t specify which crew member took the photo.

Astoundingly, Nasa characterized the view as a “calm blue Earth” adorned with bright white clouds, seen against the moon’s cratered terrain. They further explained that parts of the Earth were in darkness while others displayed swirling clouds over regions like Australia.

The Orion spacecraft is equipped with 32 cameras—15 fixed and 17 handheld for the crew to use. Astronaut Victor Glover made headlines by stating that moon exploration isn’t just “black history,” but “human history.”

Specialist Christina Koch expressed the view from space as “something special,” sharing that the beauty of Earth from that height illuminated the surrounding darkness, enhancing its significance.

The Artemis II crew is set to begin their return journey to Earth on Tuesday, with an overall travel distance expected to be 695,081 miles. This mission will reach over 4,000 miles beyond where Apollo 13 ventured.

The Artemis II capsule plans to splash down off the West Coast near San Diego on Friday evening. President Trump reassured the crew that their mission lays the groundwork for America’s return to the moon.