The Archive

Historical timeline of human deep space observation from Apollo to Artemis

Apollo Era: 1968-1972

1968

Apollo 8

First crewed mission to orbit the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders became the first humans to witness Earthrise and observe Earth from lunar orbit.

Significance: Established human presence in deep space; iconic Earthrise photograph taken

1969

Apollo 11

First lunar landing. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon. Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit.

Significance: First direct human interaction with lunar surface; established human capability to land and return

1969-1972

Apollo 12-17

Six successful lunar landing missions (Apollo 13 aborted). Twelve astronauts walked on the Moon. Extensive lunar surface operations, sample collection, and scientific observations.

Significance: Established sustained human lunar exploration capability over 3-year period

1972

Apollo 17 (Final Mission)

Last crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit. Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans. Cernan and Schmitt spent over 22 hours conducting EVAs on the lunar surface.

Significance: End of Apollo program; last humans to travel beyond low Earth orbit until Artemis II

Apollo Era Summary

Total astronauts beyond LEO

Walked on the Moon

Successful missions

The Gap: 1972-2026

54 Years

Between Apollo 17 and Artemis II

Following Apollo 17 in December 1972, no human traveled beyond low Earth orbit for over five decades. During this period:

• Space Shuttle program focused on LEO operations (1981-2011)
• International Space Station construction and operations (1998-present)
• Robotic missions to Moon, Mars, and beyond
• Commercial spaceflight development
• Planning and development of Artemis program

While these decades advanced space technology and science, no human witnessed Earth from deep space perspective—making the Apollo astronauts the only people in history with this experience until 2026.

Artemis Era: 2026-Present

2026

Artemis II (Orion Integrity)

First crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17. Lunar farside flyby on April 6, 2026. Victor Glover, as pilot, provided the first modern human description of Earth illuminating the Moon—"Earth's glow."

→ Primary documentation moment: 08:03:55 MET

Significance: Restored human deep space capability; first real-time verbal description of Earth's illumination effect in contemporary era

Future

Artemis III and Beyond

Planned lunar landing missions to return humans to the Moon's surface. Gateway lunar station construction. Sustained lunar presence and eventual Mars preparation.

Updates: This archive will document future deep space observations and Earth-Moon illumination descriptions as they occur

Transcript Updates

This archive maintains records of verified transcript references to Earth illuminating the Moon from deep space perspective. Current documentation:

Artemis II Mission Transcript

Verified

07:41:18 MET — Reference to "earth shine"

08:03:55 MET — Victor Glover: "Earth's glow" primary observation

08:15:22 MET — Continued observation and confirmation

Future mission transcripts will be added as they become available and verified through official NASA sources.

Future References

As Artemis missions continue and human deep space presence expands, additional observations of Earth illuminating the Moon will likely be documented. This archive serves as a permanent record of these descriptions.

What qualifies for inclusion:

• Human observations from beyond low Earth orbit
• Verbal descriptions during mission communications
• Verified through official mission transcripts
• Direct references to Earth illuminating the Moon

Artemis II's "Earth's glow" observation establishes the baseline for future documentation. As more humans travel to deep space, this phenomenon will be observed repeatedly—but Victor Glover's April 6, 2026 description remains the first modern articulation.