As Artemis 2 astronauts forged ahead on their lunar mission, Nasa released initial images taken from inside the Orion spacecraft, including a full portrait of Earth featuring its deep blue oceans and billowing clouds.

After a flurry of high-stakes activity including a dramatic blast-off and an engine firing that catapulted them on their historic trajectory to circle the moon, the four astronauts aboard were able to catch their breath on Friday, even as they continued to perform a variety of equipment checks and tests.

"There has been a tremendous amount of disbelief for me, it's just so extraordinary," said Canadian Jeremy Hansen during a question-and-answer session with press late on Thursday.

"I really like it up here," he said. "The views are extraordinary."

"It's really fun to be floating around" in zero gravity, he added. "It just makes me feel like a little kid."

Hansen is on the crew with Americans Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman.

They are due to loop around the moon early next week – a feat not accomplished in more than 50 years.

Friday's to-do list includes a cardiopulmonary resuscitation demonstration and medical kit checks, the US space agency said, as well as preparation for the scientific observations they'll need to document when they are closest to the moon on day six of their journey.

Nasa officials reported on Friday that all systems were performing well, and that the astronauts were in "great spirits" and had spoken to their families.

The next major milestone of the approximately 10-day journey is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, at which point the astronauts will enter the "lunar sphere of influence" – when the moon's gravity will have stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's.

If all proceeds smoothly, as Orion whips around the moon the astronauts could set a record by venturing farther from Earth than any human before.

"There is nothing normal about this," said mission commander Wiseman late Thursday.

"Sending four humans 250,000 miles away is a Herculean effort, and we are now just realising the gravity of that."

The Artemis 2 mission is part of a longer-term plan to repeatedly return to the moon, with the goal of establishing a permanent lunar base that will offer a platform for further exploration. (AFP)




Edited by Robert Kemp