Artemis II Crew Sees Moon's Far Side After 50 Years

For the first time since 1972, human eyes have gazed upon the far side of the moon.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen made history on April 6 during their Artemis II mission. The crew launched from Earth on April 1 for a 10-day journey that loops around the moon and back home.

The moment came when the spacecraft's four forward-facing windows turned toward the lunar surface at 2:45 p.m. ET. Normally, the Orion capsule keeps its tail facing the sun to charge solar panels and prevent the cabin from overheating, but mission control rotated the craft specifically for this observation period.

At their closest approach, the astronauts flew just 4,070 miles above the moon's surface. From that distance, Earth's ancient companion appeared about the size of a basketball held at arm's length, with roughly 20% of the far side illuminated during the flyby.

The crew also broke another impressive record earlier that same day. At 1:56 p.m. ET, they surpassed the previous distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth, set by the Apollo 13 astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert in 1970.

While satellites orbit the moon and robotic rovers explore its surface, no human has directly observed these details since Apollo 17 landed in December 1972. That 50-year gap ended with this week's successful flyby.

The Ripple Effect

This mission represents more than just breathtaking views and broken records. Artemis II is paving the way for humanity's return to the lunar surface, with Artemis III scheduled to test landing systems in 2026 and Artemis IV planned to put boots on the moon in 2027.

The successful completion of this journey proves that the technology, training, and teamwork needed for deep space exploration are ready for the next giant leap. Every data point collected and every system tested during these 10 days brings us closer to establishing a sustainable human presence beyond Earth.

The images and experiences from this mission will inspire the next generation of explorers, scientists, and dreamers who will continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible.