Artemis II Astronauts Observe Lunar Far Side Midway Through Mission to Moon

NASA's Artemis II mission launched on Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the first crewed lunar voyage in more than 50 years. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

They lifted off aboard the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, becoming the first humans to fly on this new system.

The spacecraft conducted a key engine burn on Thursday evening, placing it on a trajectory toward the moon. By Saturday, the astronauts had reached the midpoint of their journey and caught their first glimpses of the lunar far side through the Orion capsule's windows. This side of the moon remains invisible from Earth due to tidal locking.

Christina Koch described the view as unfamiliar, noting that the darker regions appeared out of place compared to her Earth-based observations. "The darker parts just aren’t quite in the right place," she said in an interview with NBC News from space.

" The crew compared the sights to their training materials to confirm they were viewing the far side.

Reid Wiseman called the mission a "magnificent accomplishment" and highlighted the unique perspective of seeing Earth nearly in full eclipse and the moon in full daylight. "The only way you could get that view is to be halfway between the two entities," he said.

Koch emphasized the human elements of the flight, including rest and routine tasks like changing socks within the Orion capsule's 16.5-foot habitable volume, comparable to a camper van.

The astronauts spoke with family members on Friday and Saturday, which Wiseman described as the greatest moment of his life. "It was surreal," he said. "For a moment, I was reunited with my little family." Post-launch, the crew tested life-support systems and addressed minor issues, including email glitches and toilet malfunctions, but reported the flight as smooth overall.