Artemis II Crew Capture New Photo of Far Side of the Moon

The image shows the Orientale basin, a massive crater that's hard to see from Earth.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 5:50pm

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The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission captured a new photo of the far side of the moon on Saturday, the fourth day of their lunar journey. NASA released the image on Sunday, which shows the moon oriented upside down with its South Pole facing upward and parts of its far side visible, including the Orientale basin, a massive crater that's hard to see from Earth.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is the first piloted moonshot since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago, and collecting data and observations is a primary goal. The new image of the Orientale basin provides a rare look at this significant lunar feature that can be used as a baseline to compare other impact craters on rocky worlds.

The details

The Artemis II crew, which includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, will continue to observe the Orientale basin from multiple angles as they approach and fly by the Moon. NASA noted that the basin can be "used as a baseline to compare other impact craters on rocky worlds from Mercury to Pluto."

  • The Artemis II mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, last week.
  • The crew captured the new photo of the far side of the Moon on Saturday, the fourth day of their lunar journey.
  • NASA released the image on Sunday.

The players

Artemis II

NASA's latest mission to the Moon, which marks the first piloted moonshot since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.

Reid Wiseman

The commander of the Artemis II crew.

Victor Glover

The pilot of the Artemis II crew.

Christina Koch

A mission specialist on the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

A mission specialist on the Artemis II crew.

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What they’re saying

“We want to gather as much data as we possibly can for that. Of course, there's various science experiments, there's lunar observations, but learning as much as we can about Orion is critically important, because Artemis III is a year away.”

— Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

What’s next

Later on Sunday, Artemis II is due to enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the pull of the Moon's gravity becomes stronger than the pull of the Earth's. The crew will have a full day to test their spacesuits and conduct other flight tests as they move toward the moon.

The takeaway

The new image of the Orientale basin provides a rare and valuable look at this significant lunar feature, which can serve as a baseline for studying other impact craters on rocky worlds. The Artemis II mission is a critical step towards future lunar exploration, as the crew gathers important data and observations to inform future Artemis missions.