NASA's Artemis II: First photo of Earth from the far side of the Moon captured by crew

For the first time, astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission saw the entire far side of the Moon.

On April 6, 2026, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen flew around the Moon for seven hours, taking pictures of its rough surface, huge craters, and dark plains, according to a report by NBC news. 

This is the first time humans have seen the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth.

One of the most exciting photos released shows “Earthset,” as Earth disappeared behind the edge of the Moon. This moment is similar to the famous “Earthrise” photo taken by Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968.

The White House shared the image on X (formerly Twitter) the following morning. The crew also saw a solar eclipse from the Moon, capturing the sun’s outer glow around the dark Moon.

The astronauts were amazed by the Moon’s surface and shared their thoughts. Glover was fascinated by the line dividing the Moon’s light and dark sides, known as the terminator.

He said, "There’s just so much magic in the terminator." He described the scene as “islands of light” and “black holes” in the valleys.

The astronauts also reflected on how seeing the Moon from space made them appreciate Earth. Koch said, "When we have that perspective and we compare it to our home of Earth, it just reminds us how much we have in common."

The photos and notes taken by the crew will help scientists learn more about the Moon’s surface, such as craters, ridges, and lava flows. These findings could teach us more about how the Moon and the solar system were formed. The astronauts also set a new distance record, flying 252,756 miles from Earth, which is 4,100 miles farther than Apollo 13.

As per the report, NASA plans to release all the photos once the astronauts are back on Earth. The crew is now on their way home and will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on Friday.

What Is the Artemis Program?

NASA’s Artemis program is a new series of space missions that aims to return humans to the Moon and build a long‑lasting presence there, using new technologies and international partnerships.

The program hopes to land astronauts on the lunar surface again and use what is learned on the Moon to prepare for future missions to Mars.

Artemis II is the second flight of the program and the first mission with people aboard since Apollo in 1972