ScienceApril 4, 2026

Artemis II: First Crew Photos of Earth on the Way to the Moon

Easy Medium Hard

② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

Earth/ɜːrθ/

the planet we live on

"The photo shows Earth from space."

aurora/əˈrɔːr.ə/

a bright light in the sky near the poles, often green or red

"The picture shows a green aurora."

spacecraft/ˈspeɪs.kræft/

a vehicle for travel in space

"The crew is inside the Orion spacecraft."

Listening

Artemis II: First Crew Photos of Earth on the Way to the Moon

NASA released the first photos taken by the Artemis II crew on April 3, 2026. The pictures show Earth from inside the Orion spacecraft. Commander Reid Wiseman took one clear photo after the translunar injection burn.

Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026. The four astronauts are Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot), Christina Koch (mission specialist) and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian mission specialist). The crew will fly around the Moon and return to Earth in about 10 days.

78 words

Quiz

1. When did NASA release the first photos?

2. What does the photo show?

3. Who took one clear photo?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you like taking photos of nature? Which photos do you keep?

Have you ever felt small when you looked at the sea or mountains? What did you feel?

What do you think when you see a photo of Earth from space?