Artemis II Crew Witnesses Solar Eclipse and Captures Images During Lunar Flyby

mission launched on April 1 from Florida with a crew of four astronauts: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.

The Orion spacecraft conducted a six-hour flyby of the Moon's far side, reaching a closest approach of 4,067 miles above the lunar surface. This marked the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth at 252,756 miles, surpassing the Apollo 13 record from 1970. The mission is NASA's first crewed lunar flight since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The crew did not orbit the Moon but performed a free-return trajectory using Earth's gravity to assist the return. The total mission duration is 10 days.

During the flyby on April 6, the crew witnessed a total solar eclipse lasting approximately 57 minutes as the Moon blocked the Sun from their vantage point.

NASA added this observation to the mission plan days before the flyby. The astronauts used protective glasses and reported seeing the Sun's corona and six flashes of light from meteoroids impacting the lunar surface. The crew captured images of an Earthset, showing Earth descending behind the lunar horizon.

This image resembles the Earthrise photo taken by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders in 1968. Additional photos depicted the far side of the Moon.

“— Jeremy Hansen, April 6 (Associated Press via CNBC)”

The astronauts identified two new craters during the flyby. They proposed naming one Integrity, after the Orion spacecraft's nickname, and the other Carroll, after Commander Wiseman's late wife.

The crew is now on a four-day return journey to Earth, with splashdown scheduled for April 10 in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, California. Upon landing, the Orion capsule will deploy parachutes and airbags, followed by recovery by a U.S. Navy vessel within two hours. >

"You've made history and made all America really proud."

“— President Donald Trump, April 6 (CNBC)”

NASA plans Artemis III for 2027 to test lunar lander docking, followed by Artemis IV in 2028 to land astronauts at the Moon's South Pole. Uncrewed robotic missions to the South Pole are set to begin monthly by early 2027 to support base construction.