Nasa Artemis spacecraft sends image of 'pale blue dot' Earth as it arrives at Moon

Nasa's Artemis mission has arrived at the Moon and sent back images of Earth looking tiny from 230,000 miles away.

The Orion capsule flew over the Moon's surface just 80 miles up, and is now preparing to enter a wider orbit.

For 34 minutes, the craft was out of contact as it flew past the 'dark side' of the Moon, initiating an engine burn to put it into an orbit further out.

At the time of the burn, Orion was 328 miles above the Moon and travelling at 5,023 mph.

Shortly after the burn, it passed 81 miles above the Moon, travelling at 5,102 mph.

At the time of the lunar flyby, the craft was more than 230,000 miles from Earth.

It then sent back an image of the 'pale blue dot' Earth.

Nasa said: "The outbound powered flyby burn is the first of two manoeuvers required to enter the distant retrograde orbit around the Moon.

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"The spacecraft will perform the distant retrograde orbit insertion burn on Friday using the European Service Module."

The distant retrograde will take Orion 40,000 miles past the Moon before it returns to Earth.

Orion's greatest distance from Earth will take place next Monday when it will be more than 268,500 miles away.

Dubbed Artemis I, the mission marked the first flight for the combined SLS rocket and Orion capsule, built by Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corp respectively, under contract with Nasa.

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It also signals a major change in direction for Nasa's post-Apollo human spaceflight programme after decades focused on low-Earth orbit with space shuttles and the International Space Station.

It's all part of Nasa's plan to put the first woman on the moon.

A crewed flight in lunar orbit is expected by 2024, with a landing by 2025 or 2026.

It would be the first time people have walked on the moon since the last Apollo moon mission in 1972.

Just 12 people have walked on the moon - all men.

Nasa flew six manned missions to the surface of the moon, beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in July 1969, up to Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt in December 1972.

The US space agency has estimated the cost of the whole Artemis mission at $28 billion.