Four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis II mission have captured unprecedented images of the moon's far side, marking humanity's return to lunar vicinity after more than five decades. The crew traveled 406,700 kilometers from Earth on April 6, setting a new record for the farthest distance humans have ventured from our planet.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen alternated shifts at the Orion capsule's windows during their seven-hour lunar flyby. The earthshine reflecting off our planet proved so bright that crew members covered one window with a spare shirt to manage the glare.
The mission revealed terrain never before witnessed by human eyes, including the complete Orientale Basin — a massive crater nearly 1,000 kilometers wide that straddles the boundary between the moon's near and far sides. The dark center of this ancient impact site contains dried lava from eruptions that occurred billions of years ago.
There is just so much magic in the terminator – the islands of light, the valleys that look like black holes [where] you'd fall straight to the centre of the moon if you stepped in some of those. It's just so visually captivating
Victor Glover, Mission Specialist — New Scientist
During their passage behind the moon, the astronauts experienced a planned 40-minute communication blackout with Earth. This isolation allowed them to witness a unique solar eclipse lasting nearly an hour, where the sun disappeared entirely behind the lunar surface while earthshine continued illuminating the moon's Earth-facing side.
Frames the mission as a triumphant return to lunar exploration, emphasizing the wonder and scientific value of human space exploration. The coverage celebrates the astronauts' personal experiences and emotional responses, positioning the mission as inspiring for future generations and highlighting the UK's supportive stance toward international space cooperation.
Presents the mission as a major achievement for American space leadership, emphasizing scientific data collection and technological success. The framing focuses on NASA's institutional accomplishments and the mission's contribution to future lunar exploration, reflecting the U.S. government's investment in maintaining space exploration dominance.
Provides straightforward documentation of the mission's progress with emphasis on visual storytelling and international cooperation. The coverage highlights the Canadian astronaut's participation, reflecting Australia's perspective as a space-interested nation that values multilateral space partnerships while maintaining journalistic objectivity about U.S.-led initiatives.
The crew documented impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface fractures that will provide scientists with valuable data about lunar geological evolution. They monitored variations in color, brightness, and texture across different terrain types, and reported observing six meteoroid impact flashes on the darkened lunar surface.
Beyond scientific observations, the astronauts proposed naming two smaller craters near Orientale Basin: Integrity, after their spacecraft, and Carroll, honoring Wiseman's late wife. These personal touches underscore the human element of this historic mission.
The moon is a gibbous and the Earth is a crescent
Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist — New Scientist
The rapidly changing perspectives from their vantage point allowed the crew to observe both Earth and moon phases shifting dramatically throughout their journey. As Orion circled toward the moon's far side, they witnessed a crescent Earth setting behind the lunar horizon — a view no human had experienced since the Apollo era.
The Artemis II crew is now returning to Earth, with splashdown scheduled for April 10 off the California coast. Their successful flyby represents a crucial step toward NASA's goal of landing astronauts on the lunar surface during future Artemis missions, potentially opening a new chapter in human space exploration.