The exhaust plume left behind by Artemis II is pictured from the International Space Station

iss074e0431736 (April 1, 2026) --- The exhaust plume left behind by the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket that launched Artemis II, NASA’s first crewed mission to the Moon since December 1972, dissipates in the Earth's atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was soaring 263 miles above the Atlantic Ocean northwest of Puerto Rico at the time of this photograph.