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Astronauts participating in NASA's Artemis II mission have shared their profound emotions and experiences upon seeing the far side of the Moon for the first time. These historic moments were recounted in an interview with the BBC.

A Unique Perspective: The Moon's Hidden Face

Mission specialist Christina Koch described the view of the lunar far side as an experience unlike any other. "There's a certain otherness to it. You immediately sense that this is not the Moon that we've learned to recognize," she explained, highlighting the distinct and unfamiliar nature of the unseen hemisphere.

Artemis II Mission Objectives

Currently, the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—are spending their third day aboard the Orion spacecraft. The primary goal of this expedition is to complete a full orbit around the Moon and return safely to Earth.

The Artemis II mission launched on April 2, 2024, from the Kennedy Space Center. This marks the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. The entire flight is planned to last approximately 10 days.