Artemis II crew captures stunning images from Moon’s far side
The Orion spacecraft is now on its return trip
Following a momentous lunar flyby that took four astronauts further from Earth than we've ever ventured, the Artemis II crew has returned with stunning pictures of the Moon's far side.
The photos display Earth rising and setting over the edge of the Moon, a unique solar eclipse in space as the Moon positioned itself between the Orion spacecraft Integrity and the Sun, and detailed pictures of the far side's rugged terrain, marked with numerous craters, unlike the near side.
This seven-hour flyby happened on Monday (6 April 2026), including a 40-minute communication loss due to the Moon blocking the signal.
As Integrity went behind the Moon, mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen captured snapshots of the far side.
At this part of the mission, the spacecraft reached its closest distance to the Moon—only 6,545 kilometers (4,067 miles) from the surface—before extending to its maximum distance of 406,771 kilometers from Earth.
Shortly after Integrity reestablished communication with Earth, the spacecraft watched a total solar eclipse for nearly an hour as the Moon obscured the Sun.
Such an event is a rare chance to examine details of the solar corona that are usually hidden by the Sun's intense light.
Additionally, without the Sun's glare, the astronauts could witness faint flashes of six meteoroid impacts on the Moon's surface.
The Moon's far side is a significant area due to its stark difference from the near side.
The near side has large, smooth, dark volcanic plains formed by ancient basalt that poured out from beneath the surface.
In contrast, the far side has very little volcanic resurfacing and is densely covered with craters.
The cause of this difference remains a puzzle we're keen to solve. Advanced observational technology might offer some answers.
"During the flyby, the astronauts captured images of impact craters, ancient lava flows, and surface fractures which will aid researchers in studying the Moon's geological history," NASA reported in an update on April 7.
"They examined differences in color, brightness, and texture across the landscape, observed an earthset and earthrise, and captured solar-eclipse images showcasing the Sun's corona."
The Orion spacecraft is now on its return trip, aiming for a splashdown at 00:07 UTC on Saturday, 11 April 2026, weather permitting.
This phase is likely the riskiest as the craft navigates a rapid atmospheric reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.