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NASA revealed a stunning image of the Moon taken by the Artemis II crew on Sunday, marking the first time humans have directly seen the lunar far side—a region previously only photographed by robotic cameras.
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are currently on the third day of their mission aboard the Orion spacecraft.
They are orbiting the Orientale basin, located at the far-right edge of the lunar disk, an area that has never been viewed by human eyes.
“Something about it just doesn’t look like the Moon I’m used to seeing,” Koch remarked during an interview with NBC News from space.
She noted that the darker areas of the surface appeared unusual, prompting the crew to compare their observations with reference materials. “That is the dark side. That is something we have never seen before,” she concluded.
History in the making
In this new image from our @NASAArtemis 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
— NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026
Wiseman described the mission, which launched on Thursday evening, as a “magnificent achievement.” He emphasised the unique perspective the astronauts possess, allowing them to observe both Earth and the Moon simultaneously.
“The Earth is almost in full eclipse while the Moon is in almost full daylight, and the only way to see that view is to be halfway between the two entities,” he explained.
The Artemis II mission marks a historic milestone in lunar exploration, offering humanity its first direct view of the Moon’s hidden face.
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