Earthrise over lunar limb, Moon, Space

This photo achieved instant fame after NASA astronaut Christina Koch snapped it from the Orion craft on April 6, 2026. The Artemis II mission was the first beyond low Earth orbit in over 50 years, sending Koch and her three crewmates on a trajectory that slingshotted them around the far side of the moon, using its gravity to hurl themselves back toward Earth with very little added thrust. If that maneuver wasn't nifty enough, the crew also shattered the record for human distance from Earth at 252,756 miles. That's over 4,000 more than Apollo 13 achieved on its long, unplanned detour back in 1970—which helped lay the groundwork (or is that spacework?) for Artemis' circumlunar course.

The image showcases Earth's curvature partially revealed above the lunar horizon, a striking contrast of color and texture. This vantage point continues a legacy of Earthrise photographs, offering a unique perspective of our planet as a fragile sphere in the vastness of space. Such views reinforce the scientific and exploratory goals of the Artemis missions, which aim to establish sustained human presence beyond low Earth orbit.