Artemis II Reaches the Far Side of the Moon!!

 

#NASA, #Space, #astronomy, #διάστημα,#moon

Black Hole@konstructivizm

...it's a profound moment of continuity in human space exploration. During today's lunar flyby (April 6, 2026), the Artemis II crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen—is conducting a several-hour observation campaign from the Orion spacecraft. As they swing around the Moon at a closest approach of roughly 4,000–4,700 miles (much higher altitude than the Apollo missions' ~60–70 miles), they will photograph and verbally describe key lunar features, including the Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 landing sites early in the illuminated viewing window... ... represent humanity's first extended stays on the Moon (Apollo 12 in 1969 near the Ocean of Storms, Apollo 14 in 1971 in the Fra Mauro formation). The crew won't get the ultra-close-up views that orbital missions like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter provide, but from their trajectory, they'll capture broader contextual images under specific lighting conditions that connect the Apollo era directly to the Artemis program—the bridge to sustained lunar presence and eventual landings near the south pole.The observation plan includes ~35 geological targets overall, such as:The Orientale Basin (already imaged by the crew en route, marking the first time the full basin has been seen with human eyes) Potential future landing zones like the Reiner Gamma swirl Edges of the South Pole-Aitken basin The astronauts work in rotating pairs, using handheld cameras (including Nikon D5 DSLRs) to take photos and provide real-time descriptions to scientists on the ground. This isn't just nostalgia—it's practical science: refining our understanding of lunar terrain, lighting, and features for Artemis III and beyond, while also attempting to recapture iconic perspectives like a new "Earthrise." The flyby is happening in real time as we speak, with the crew already breaking the Apollo 13 distance record from Earth earlier today and now providing live observations during the ~6-hour window when Orion's windows are optimally pointed at the Moon. It's a poetic loop: the same humans who first left low Earth orbit in the 1960s/70s are now being revisited by a diverse new crew testing the next-generation spacecraft.