Artemis II astronauts report surprising far side views aboard Orion
NASA's Artemis II mission is sending astronauts around the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
The crew, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, shared what it's like to see the far side of the moon up close from their Orion capsule.
Koch mentioned that some dark patches on the lunar surface weren't where they expected, making the view even more surprising.
Artemis II to exceed 405554km
To make sense of these unexpected sights, the team leaned on their training materials while running checks on Orion's life-support systems.
Commander Wiseman called it magnificent accomplishment to see both Earth and moon at once from space.
The mission is set to break a distance record by traveling over 405554km from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13.
And yes, they've been able to chat with family back home too!
Artemis II is a big step toward NASA's goal of returning humans to the moon.