                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2022 November 17

                           Planet Earth from Orion
                        Image Credit: NASA, Artemis 1

   Explanation: A Space Launch System rocket left planet Earth on
   Wednesday, November 16 at 1:47am EST carrying the Orion spacecraft on
   the Artemis 1 mission, the first integrated test of NASA's deep space
   exploration systems. Over an hour after liftoff from Kennedy Space
   Center's
   historic Launch Complex 39B, one of Orion's external video cameras
   captured this view of its new perspective from space. In the foreground
   are Orion's Orbital Maneuvering System engine and auxillary engines, at
   the bottom of the European Service Module. Beyond one of the module's
   7-meter long extended solar array wings lies the spacecraft's beautiful
   home world. The Artemis 1 mission will last almost four weeks, testing
   capabilities to enable human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The
   uncrewed Orion spacecraft is expected to fly by the Moon on November
   21, performing a close approach to the lunar surface on its way to a
   retrograde orbit 70,000 kilometers beyond the Moon.

                  Tomorrow's picture: the protostar within
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

