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Four days into the Artemis II space mission, the crew captured a stunning photo of the far side of the moon.<\/p>\n
The image, which features the Orientale Basin<\/a>, \u201cmarks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes,\u201d according to NASA.<\/p>\n History in the making<\/p>\n In this new image from our @NASAArtemis<\/a> II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes. pic.twitter.com\/iqjod6gqgz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The photo of the moon was released just days after the crew of the Artemis II \u2014 Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen \u2014 shared spectacular images of Earth.<\/p>\n These two images were taken by @astro_reid<\/a> only minutes apart. The stark difference is the result of camera settings. In the first, a longer shutter speed let in much more light from Earth, while the shorter shutter speed in the second emphasizes our planet\u2019s nighttime glow. pic.twitter.com\/4H5gFymlcl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n While Artemis II will not touch down on the lunar surface, the mission lays the groundwork for more launches. Artemis III is scheduled to launch in 2027 and will test<\/a> \u201crendezvous and docking capabilities between Orion and commercial spacecraft needed to land astronauts on the Moon.\u201d Artemis IV is scheduled to launch in 2028, and will finally bring mankind back to the surface of the moon after more than 50 years.<\/p>\n On Sunday, NASA posted a \u201clast look\u201d at Earth before the Artemis II crew reach the moon.<\/p>\n One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon.<\/p>\n This view of the Earth was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, from inside the Orion spacecraft. The four astronauts will reach their closest approach of the Moon tomorrow, April 6. pic.twitter.com\/z2NJUGWkKc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cArtemis II is a test flight, and the test has just begun. The team that built this vehicle, repaired it, and prepared it for flight has given our crew the machine they need to go prove what it can do,\u201d said<\/a> NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. \u201cOver the next 10 days, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy will put Orion through its paces so the crews who follow them can go to the Moon\u2019s surface with confidence. We are one mission into a long campaign, and the work ahead of us is greater than the work behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s long-term plan is to create a permanent American presence on the moon by building bases. Additionally, by the end of 2028, NASA is scheduled to launch<\/a> the unmanned \u201cSpace Reactor\u20111 Freedom, the first nuclear powered interplanetary spacecraft,\u201d to Mars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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