Artemis II Astronauts Experience a Unique Lunar Viewing

This past weekend, astronauts aboard Artemis II caught sight of a lunar landscape that had never been observed by human eyes before. This was merely a precursor to what’s shaping up to be an extraordinary lunar flyby set to begin Monday afternoon.

On Saturday, the crew spotted the Oriental Basin, a massive impact crater located on the moon’s far side, and shared breathtaking images while flying roughly 200,000 miles from Earth.

NASA released an image, stating, “This new image from the @NASAArtemis II crew shows the Oriental Basin on the right edge of the lunar disk.” The agency also mentioned that this marks the first instance of the entire basin being visible to humans.

“History is being made,” NASA emphasized.

But this is just the beginning for the four-person crew, who will embark on a 10-day journey around the moon. The actual flyby is slated to kick off around 2:45 p.m. ET, lasting just over six hours and concluding at approximately 9:20 p.m. However, there will be a 40-minute communication blackout starting around 6:47 p.m. when the moon positions itself between the Artemis II Orion capsule and Earth.

During this period, the astronauts will navigate the moon at altitudes of 4,000 to 6,000 miles, making it appear the size of a basketball at arm’s length through the capsule’s window.

Excitingly, they will also witness the far side of the moon for the first time. This region has been permanently obscured from Earth, remaining hidden during the Apollo missions more than five decades ago. While unmanned probes have captured it in detail, no human has laid eyes on it until now.

Crew members are processing the surreal experience of encountering this completely new lunar vista as the weekend wraps up. Astronaut Christina Koch remarked, “The dark areas just aren’t in the right place,” expressing her astonishment from inside the Artemis II capsule. She noted, “Something about you feels like this isn’t the moon I’m used to seeing.” As a first-time observer up close, she described it as “the dark side,” a realm that has remained unseen.

Throughout the weekend, Artemis II floated through the void between Earth and the moon—a stretch referred to as lunar-stellar space. On Thursday, the spacecraft engaged its thrusters, propelling it to over 22,000 miles per hour, thereby exiting Earth’s orbit just a day after launch.

Despite the continued influence of Earth’s gravity, which caused a gradual slowdown, everything shifted as Artemis II fell into the Moon’s gravitational field just before 1 a.m. on Monday. The moon’s gravity is pivotal, effectively slinging Artemis back toward Earth, minimizing the need for thruster power after the flyby.

This gravitational tactic mirrors what Apollo 13 utilized in 1970, allowing for a minimal fuel return to Earth. Interestingly, Artemis II is poised to surpass Apollo 13’s record distance from Earth—248,655 miles—by about 4,000 miles, reaching as much as 252,757 miles away.

The record-setting moment is anticipated around 1:56 p.m., just prior to the flyby, with a confirmed new record expected by 7:05 p.m.

Following this groundbreaking flyby, Artemis II will begin its journey back home, a significant step toward humanity’s planned return to the moon. A manned moon landing is currently targeted for 2028, following the Artemis mission in Earth orbit planned for 2027, with future aspirations turning toward Mars.