NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen shared photos and videos from the far side of the Moon.

The mission marks a critical step in returning humans to the lunar surface, providing the public with rare visual data and personal accounts of the lunar environment.

The crew traveled 695,081 miles [1] during the 10-day mission [2]. The flight concluded with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean [3]. During a televised interview, the astronauts said they orbited the far side of the Moon, which is often referred to as the dark side.

Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen said the lunar surface had colorful features. They also said they witnessed a lunar eclipse, which they characterized as unreal. The images and videos captured by the crew aim to showcase the scientific and visual discoveries made during the flyby.

The Artemis II mission was designed to test the capabilities of the spacecraft and the endurance of the crew in deep space. By sharing these impressions and visual records, NASA intends to inspire interest in future lunar exploration and the eventual establishment of a permanent human presence on the Moon.

According to reports, the crew splashed down in mid-May 2024 [2]. The return to Earth followed a trajectory that took the crew around the Moon before the final descent into the Pacific Ocean [3].

“The crew traveled 695,081 miles during the 10-day mission.”

The successful completion of the Artemis II flyby demonstrates NASA's ability to send a multi-national crew beyond low Earth orbit. By documenting the far side of the Moon and successfully executing a Pacific splashdown, the agency has validated the life-support and navigation systems necessary for the upcoming Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years.