Artemis II Crew Shares Awe as They Approach Lunar Far Side

The Artemis II astronauts, currently on a historic 10-day mission around the moon, have expressed profound awe as they approach and observe the lunar far side, a region never before seen directly by humans. Launched Wednesday aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, the crew—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—are now more than halfway to the moon.

In interviews from space, the astronauts described the unique and humbling experience of viewing Earth and the moon from their spacecraft. Pilot Victor Glover reflected on the vastness of space and the rarity of Earth as an “oasis” in the cosmos. “You are special in all of this emptiness,” he said, emphasizing the shared human experience on Earth despite the vast universe surrounding them.

Christina Koch noted the unfamiliar appearance of the moon’s far side, saying, “The darker parts just aren’t quite in the right place,” and recognizing that this was a view no human had seen before. The crew compared their observations to study materials to better understand the lunar surface’s features.

Commander Reid Wiseman called the flight a “magnificent accomplishment,” highlighting the awe-inspiring views of Earth nearly in full eclipse and the moon almost fully illuminated. The astronauts have been able to rest comfortably inside the 16.5-foot-wide Orion capsule, which offers a habitable volume similar to a camper van.

The mission has not been without challenges. Since launch, the crew has dealt with intermittent issues with their onboard space toilet, occasionally resorting to contingency collapsible urinals (CCUs) due to a possibly frozen vent line preventing proper waste disposal. Flight Director Judd Frieling explained that while the toilet works for urine, they are managing tank levels carefully until the vent issue is resolved. Mission Management Team Chairman John Honeycutt acknowledged the public’s fascination with the toilet troubles, noting the importance of such systems in space.

Despite these minor setbacks, the spacecraft has performed well, with planned trajectory correction maneuvers canceled after confirming the capsule remains on a near-perfect course. Wiseman and Glover planned to manually pilot Orion to provide engineers with valuable data on spacecraft handling.

The crew is preparing for a key milestone: entering the lunar sphere of influence at 12:41 a.m. ET Monday, when the moon’s gravity overtakes Earth’s pull. Later that day, they will conduct a six-hour lunar flyby beginning at 2:45 p.m. ET, during which they will observe and photograph the moon’s far side from as close as 4,600 miles. This vantage point will allow them to capture images of craters, ridges, and ancient lava flows, contributing to scientific understanding of the moon and solar system formation.

At 7:05 p.m. ET, the astronauts are expected to reach their maximum distance from Earth—252,757 miles—surpassing the Apollo 13 record by about 4,100 miles. During the flyby, they will also witness a solar eclipse from space as the sun moves behind the moon at 8:35 p.m. ET, providing an opportunity to observe the sun’s corona and detect flashes from meteoroid impacts on the lunar surface.

The crew has taken moments to connect with family, with Wiseman describing the experience as “the greatest moment of my entire life.” Hansen expressed deep humility and joy, saying, “Right away, you are humbled. The fact that four of us get to be out here just brings you to your knees.”

As the mission progresses, the astronauts continue to share their gratitude and wonder. Koch reflected on the anomaly of life on Earth amid the vast universe, and the crew collectively emphasized the importance of unity and perseverance. They are expected to return to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego just after 8 p.m. ET.