Artemis II Crew Captures Stunning Earth Views with GoPros, iPhones, and Nikon Cameras
ORLANDO: The Orion capsule carrying four astronauts on Nasa’s Artemis II mission completed a critical thruster burn on Thursday, propelling the crew out of Earth’s orbit and onto a trajectory toward the Moon. The manoeuvre sets them on course to reach the farthest distance any humans have traveled in space.
The successful burn positions the astronauts to enter the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence by Sunday morning, as they aim to surpass the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
They include a small GoPro action camera and iPhones, as well as professional Nikon cameras that have been used by Nasa astronauts on the International Space Station for years.
The decision to equip the crew with iPhones was made under Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut who flew on two private SpaceX Dragon missions and used the devices during his own flights, Nasa officials have said.
Nasa has yet to release any images captured by the crew so far, but expects to do so later in the mission after more climactic moments. Among them is an anticipated “Earthrise” image, echoing the famous photo taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders in 1968 as his spacecraft looped around the moon.
On day six, the astronauts are expected to reach roughly 252,000 miles from Earth, the most distant point ever flown by humans, when the planet will appear no larger than a basketball beyond the moon’s shadowed far side.
Toilet malfunction
Not long after the successful launch, astronaut Christina Koch alerted mission control in Houston to a red blinking light signalling a problem with Orion’s toilet, housed in a small compartment within the crew cabin, itself only slightly larger than a minivan’s interior.
Mission engineers addressed the issue after a proximity operations test, Nasa said.
While spacecraft toilets are often cumbersome, they are essential for long-duration missions, and their designs vary widely.
On the ISS and Orion, astronauts use the $24 million Universal Waste Management System, which employs suction to collect waste, recycles urine into drinking water, and seals solid waste in bags that are eventually jettisoned.
The system features a specially shaped funnel and hose for urine and a seat for bowel movements, which can be used simultaneously—incorporating feedback from female astronauts, according to Nasa.
By contrast, Apollo-era astronauts in the 1960s and 1970s relied on rudimentary bags strapped to their bodies, which were either stored onboard or left on the Moon.
Orion’s toilet resembles a conventional design more closely and is separated from the crew cabin by a small door.
“It’s the one place we can go during the mission where we can actually feel like we’re alone for a moment,” said Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency in a video last year.
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