Media and Video Documentation
Official broadcast recordings and visual documentation from Artemis II
Official Broadcast Recording
Official NASA broadcast of Artemis II lunar flyby operations on April 6, 2026. Video begins at approximately 8:05:00 mission elapsed time, corresponding to the period when crew observations of Earth-illuminated lunar surface were described.
Key Timestamps:
- • ~07:41 — Reference to Earthshine during observation
- • ~08:03 — First use of "Earth's glow" by Victor Glover
Source: Official Artemis II broadcast recording (NASA)
Visual Documentation
Earth-Illuminated Lunar Surface
During the lunar flyby, Orion's position behind the Moon allowed observation of the nearside illuminated by sunlight reflected from Earth. The Moon's surface appeared faintly visible against the darkness of space.
Visual conditions: Earth as dominant light source, minimal direct solar illumination on observed lunar surface
Observational Geometry
From Orion's vantage point, Earth appeared beyond the Moon's limb, providing reflected sunlight that illuminated the lunar nearside. This configuration created optimal conditions for observing earth-reflected illumination as the primary visible light source.
Perspective: Deep space observation from behind the Moon during powered flyby maneuver
Earth from Lunar Distance
Earth visible as a partially illuminated sphere beyond the lunar surface. Sufficient brightness to serve as illumination source for the Moon while Orion operated in the Earth-Moon system.
Context: Crew observations documented during live broadcast transmission
Broadcast Context
The Artemis II lunar flyby was broadcast live on April 6, 2026, providing real-time audio and video from the Orion spacecraft. Crew members described observations as they occurred, creating a documented record of human descriptions of phenomena observed from deep space.
During the broadcast, Mission Specialist Victor Glover described the Moon's appearance, noting the illumination provided by Earth-reflected sunlight. His use of the phrase "Earth's glow" captured the subjective experience of observing this phenomenon from an unprecedented vantage point.
The broadcast represents primary source documentation of crew observations during the first crewed lunar flyby mission in over five decades.
Additional Resources
Full Broadcast on YouTube
Complete mission coverage with timestamped access
youtube.com/live/z-j1uxBmis0 →
NASA Image Galleries
Official mission photography and stills from broadcast footage available through NASA public archives