Artemis 2 Astronauts First to See Moon's Far Side in 53 Years

For the first time in over half a century, human eyes are gazing upon the hidden face of the moon.

Four astronauts aboard NASA's Artemis 2 mission are making history today as they conduct a lunar flyby, becoming the first people to observe certain regions of the moon's far side. The crew launched April 1st aboard a Space Launch System rocket for their 10-day journey around our celestial neighbor.

NASA's Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are equipped with Nikon cameras and detailed observation guides. They're capturing images, recording audio notes, and annotating their discoveries on tablets while Orion's onboard cameras document the journey.

Back on Earth, lunar scientists at Mission Control in Houston are guiding the astronauts through their observations. Together, they're hunting for everything from meteoroid impact flashes to ice deposits, from volcanic evidence to color variations on the lunar surface.

The mission represents a groundbreaking collaboration between human exploration and scientific research. For the first time, NASA has integrated a science officer, science evaluation room, and science mission operations room into a crewed lunar mission.

The astronauts prepared for this moment through classroom training and field trips to impact craters on Earth. Their observations will help determine what research humans can uniquely accomplish in the lunar environment, paving the way for future moon missions.

Why This Inspires

This mission bridges past and future in the most hopeful way. The last humans to see the moon up close departed in 1972, but today's astronauts aren't just revisiting old territory. They're exploring new frontiers and proving that after five decades, humanity's reach is extending farther than ever.

Even amateur astronomers can join the effort through the Impact Flash! citizen science project, searching for meteoroid strikes simultaneously with the crew. Scientists need telescope observations from April 6th to 7th to help validate what the astronauts are seeing and avoid false positives.

The crew's work today culminates in a close lunar flyby that will slingshot Orion back toward Earth. Every photo, every observation, and every note they make is adding to our understanding of the moon and preparing us for permanent human presence there.

After 53 years of absence, humans are once again witnesses to the moon's wonders, and this time, we're staying for good.