The Oldest Image of Earth from Space

What is the Oldest Image of Earth?

There are several "firsts" depending on the criteria: the first photograph beyond the Kármán line in 1946, the first image transmitted from a satellite in 1959, the first full Earth disk from geostationary orbit in 1966, the first color image of the entire disk in 1967, the first view of Earth from lunar orbit in 1966, the first Earthrise photographed by humans in 1968, and the famous Blue Marble in 1972. Each marked a distinct technical and cognitive milestone.

N.B.:
The Kármán line is an altitude of 100 km above sea level, separating Earth's atmosphere from space. Beyond this line, the air is too thin, and the horizontal speed required to maintain flight exceeds orbital velocity, causing the craft to leave Earth and orbit instead.

Chronological Evolution of the First Images

1946: A 35 mm camera mounted on V-2 #13 at White Sands captured the very first photographs of Earth from space, at an altitude of about \(\sim 105\ \mathrm{km}\).
1959: The Explorer 6 satellite transmitted the first image from space, at an altitude of about \(\sim 27,000\ \mathrm{km}\), showing clouds over the Pacific Ocean with low resolution.
1966: ATS-1 provided the first complete Earth disk from geostationary orbit, allowing global observation in a single shot.
1966: Lunar Orbiter 1 captured the first view of Earth from lunar orbit, a robotic "Earthrise" image restored in 2008.
1967: ATS-3 delivered the first color images of the entire Earth, used for operational meteorology.
1968: The astronauts of Apollo 8 photographed the first Earthrise in color from the Moon, with Bill Anders behind the camera.
1972: The astronauts of Apollo 17 took Blue Marble, a full-color photograph of the entire Earth, showing the planet in its southern illumination.

N.B.:
Earth observation satellites are mainly divided into two categories: low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, a few hundred kilometers above the surface, which provide high spatial resolution for detailed surface images and precise measurement of local phenomena; and geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, at about 36,000 km, which remain fixed relative to the surface and allow continuous monitoring of global weather and climate phenomena.

Historical Milestones of the "Oldest Images" of Earth
Year	Platform / Mission	What is "First"	Technical Details	Reference
1946	V-2 #13 (White Sands)	First photo of Earth from space (>100 km)	35 mm camera, altitude \(\sim 105\ \mathrm{km}\), recovered film	TIME (new window); V-2 No. 13 (new window)
1959	Explorer 6	First image transmitted by a satellite	Alt. \(\sim 27,000\ \mathrm{km}\), Pacific clouds, low resolution	NASA NSSDCA (new window); NASA (new window)
1966	ATS-1 (Spin-scan)	First full disk from geostationary orbit	First "global weather" in a single shot	NOAA/NASA via Commons (new window)
1966	Lunar Orbiter 1	First view of Earth from lunar orbit	Robotic "Earthrise" image, restored in 2008	NASA LOIRP (new window); The Planetary Society (new window)
1967	ATS-3	First color image of the entire disk	Color camera, operational use in meteorology	BAMS 1968 (new window); The Planetary Society (new window)
1968	Apollo 8	First Earthrise photographed by humans	Photo by Bill Anders, lunar orbit, color	NASA (new window); Earthrise (new window)
1972	Apollo 17	Blue Marble: Full Earth disk by humans	Photo AS17-148-22727, southern illumination	NASA (new window); The Blue Marble (new window)

Main sources: TIME – 1946 V-2 (new window); NOAA/NASA – ATS-1 (new window); BAMS 1968 – ATS-3 (new window); NASA – Lunar Orbiter 1 (new window); NASA – Apollo 8 (new window); NASA – Apollo 17 (new window).

How Do We See Earth Today?

Earth from space — *This classic photograph of Earth was taken on December 7, 1972, by the crew of the last Apollo mission, Apollo 17, as they headed toward the Moon during their lunar landing mission. Image source: NASA*

Global Satellite Network

Today, our view of Earth has become immediate, global, and continuous. It is no longer the result of sporadic space missions but comes from a dense network of observation satellites that monitor the planet 24/7.

Coverage and Applications

These systems produce globally updated maps in near real-time, track extreme weather phenomena, deforestation, ice melt, and variations in ocean currents. The combination of observations from low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary orbit (GEO) provides both fine details and continuous planetary coverage.