Artemis II Astronauts Observe Far Side of Moon in Historic Flyby

Artemis II astronauts became the first humans to observe the lunar far side while it was illuminated.

“NASA has released the first images taken from inside the Artemis II Orion spacecraft, where four astronauts are currently travelling on a mission around the moon”

Al Jazeera

The crew spent six hours scanning the Moon, consulting a detailed target list.

Al Jazeera

Christina Koch described the view as just simply spectacular and noted the far side looked different.

The astronauts made direct human observations to detect subtle color nuances invisible to cameras.

The human eye's ability to detect subtle color nuances was highlighted.

Apollo astronauts had emphasized this in their reports back home.

BBC

Alan Bean became a painter whose art displayed the colorful lunar surface.

The Orion crew was tasked with noting details that cameras might miss.

Christina Koch became the woman who traveled the farthest from Earth.

“The moon-bound , as it recedes behind them, took a break to chat with their families Friday before reviewing plans for closely observing the moon from the of the lunar far side Monday”

CBS News

The crew represented a diverse team: three Americans and one Canadian.

The mission included the first Black astronaut, a woman astronaut, and a non-American astronaut venturing this far since 1972.

The mission set a record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.

NASA provided a live stream of views from the Orion spacecraft.

The Artemis Real-time Orbit Website offered moment-by-moment updates.

CNN

The 10-day journey tested spacecraft systems and conducted medical rehearsals.

Landing missions are scheduled to commence with Artemis IV in 2028.