At this point in NASA’s human spaceflight story, researchers have a substantial amount of material – documents, artifacts and images – with which to tell the stories of past flights to space. But with NASA’s Artemis II mission around the Moon now in the books, we’re getting a refreshed look at space.And the digital photographs transmitted back to Earth – even mid-mission – tell a modern story of the crew’s experience. Entire generations born after Apollo 17’s last close-up looks at the Moon in 1972 may hardly believe the reality of Artemis II in the age of AI-generated deep fakes. But this mission was real, and four humans can tell the tale of their adventure using the photographs safely stored on memory cards now in NASA’s hands.As a space historian and curator well-versed in the visual culture of human spaceflight, I’ve long anticipated seeing the photographs of a return to the Moon.AdvertisementAdvertisementPost-Apollo, images of space travel were characterized by launching space shuttles, Erector Set-like space stations and Mars rovers crossing a dusty landscape. While the Artemis II photos have timeless, classic elements similar to the Apollo photos, better photographic tools give them a clean, crisp vibe. Space travel now looks more like many people may imagine it’s supposed to look: grand, adventurous, audacious, sublime.As part of Gen X, I have no personal memory of Apollo. Like many born after NASA’s first slate of lunar missions, my memories of space include visuals like the ill-fated Challenger launch; Mercury program astronaut John Glenn’s return to orbit in a space shuttle in 1998, at age 77; and seeing photos of deep space from the Hubble Space telescope. But these events didn’t include humans on or near the Moon, and many people around my age are thirsty for their own lunar memories to share.Thanks to the internet and social media, which allow people to access images at a greater speed and volume than ever before, photographs from the Artemis II crew became almost instantly iconic. They were also compared to what came before, as they fit within a mental catalog of exploration photography that’s far older than humans’ earliest attempts at space travel.Artemis II astronauts managed to capture a solar eclipse from space on April 6, 2026. The Moon shadowed the Sun entirely, with just its corona visible. NASAPlanning and taking photosArtemis II crew members Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen had weeks’ worth of photography training with a slew of Nikon digital cameras and iPhones. Taking photos with the device so many people have in their pockets is leaps and bounds beyond photography equipment used during Apollo 17 – even the 1960s-era 35mm camera.AdvertisementAdvertisementNASA’s preference for using the Nikon D5 on the International Space Station has extended to Artemis II. This camera performs well, and NASA likes tried and true reliability when astronauts travel to space.NASA took a decidedly different path when planning for images of the Moon with Artemis, compared to Apollo. First, the Orion spacecraft used on Artemis is bigger, and it has double the number of windows and cameras inside. Five of Orion’s six windows had live-streaming video cameras capturing the lunar flyby.Because of their wide swing around the Moon at a distance greater than any Apollo flight, this crew could see more of the Moon in a single glance.Artemis’ crew trained intensively with geologists and other scientists to be on the lookout for more prospective landing sites for future missions, craters and just interesting events or features. People watching live online could hear their descriptions of what they saw. The conversation between the astronauts on the Orion capsule and the Artemis Science Team was also broadcast.Exciting new photosBased on the launch date and the position of the Moon, the crew was prepared for unique angles like Earthset – similar to sunset – and a solar eclipse.The famous Earthrise photo from Apollo 8 shows Earth rising across the lunar horizon. Artemis II’s version, Earthset, shows it setting. NASAEarthrise – like sunri …
