Orion Spacecraft Image Shows What Space Tourists Could Soon Experience

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA Artemis I Moon mission’s Orion spacecraft set a new distance record by going around 270,000 miles away from Earth. It became the farthest distance traveled by spacecraft capable of carrying humans. The previous record was set by the crewed Apollo 13 mission five decades ago. The Orion capsule also captured an astonishing image of our home at its journey’s zenith.

The image shows both Moon and the Earth perfectly aligning with each other with the backdrop of the vast and dark space. The image also shows parts of the capsule and NASA logos.

Moon Looking Larger Than Earth For Once

The image makes Moon appear larger than our planet. The perspective of the image reduces our home to a mere blue marble.

"The imagery was crazy," said Rick LaBrode, mission lead flight director, as quoted by Ars Technica. "It's really hard to articulate what the feeling is. It's really amazing to be here, and see that."

Flight day 13: Orion reached its maximum distance from Earth during the #Artemis I mission when it was 268,563 miles away from our home planet. Orion has now traveled farther than any other spacecraft built for humans. pic.twitter.com/sfdPFjf7Og

— Orion Spacecraft (@NASA_Orion) November 29, 2022

It’s great to get a glimpse of what space tourists will be gazing at a few years from now. The current flight is a test for the future Artemis II mission that will see astronauts doing a flyby of the Moon to within 80 miles of the lunar surface. The crew aboard the flight will also witness great views similar to the one in the picture.

“Extraordinary Success” For Artemis I

The upcoming Artemis II mission will also be taking the same path as the Artemis I. However, it will be ferrying humans to a point around 268,000 miles from our planet. It will be the farthest distance traveled by any human. The current record stands at 248,655 miles from Earth set by Apollo 13 mission in 1970.

“Because of the unbelievable can-do spirit, Artemis I has had extraordinary success and has completed a series of history-making events,” said Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator. “It’s incredible just how smoothly this mission has gone, but this is a test. That’s what we do — we test it and we stress it.”

The Artemis I mission escaped Earth’s gravity on November 16 from the Kennedy Space Center. It is slated to finish its mission on December 11. The Orion spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.