NASA is set to make history Wednesday evening as it launches Artemis II, the first crewed mission to travel toward the moon in more than 50 years.

Astronauts heading to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years are currently more than 100,000 miles (160,930 kilometres) from Earth and in "good spirits", according to Nasa officials.

The first image, called Hello, World, shows the vast expanse of blue that is the Atlantic Ocean, framed by a glow of the atmosphere as the Earth eclipses the Sun and green auroras at either pole.