HOUSTON — The Artemis II mission astronauts have crossed the halfway point to the moon, witnessing the far side of the lunar surface for the first time in history.
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In a recent interview with NBC News from orbit, NASA astronaut Christina Koch observed that the moon looked strikingly different through the window of the Orion capsule compared to how we see it from Earth.
“The dark areas just aren’t in their usual places,” she remarked. “It felt like a completely different moon.”
Koch, alongside fellow astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, consulted their research materials to decode their extraordinary views.
“We’re seeing the dark side of the moon—an experience we’ve never had before,” Koch stated.
Wiseman, Koch, Glover, and Hansen embarked on their ten-day lunar expedition on Wednesday, marking humanity’s first exploration of the moon in over five decades. They are the first humans to launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule, officially on their way to the moon after a vital engine burn propelled them out of Earth’s orbit on Thursday night.
Wiseman described the flight as an “incredible achievement,” noting that the astronauts’ views of both Earth and the moon were truly “awe-inspiring.”
“Earth is in a near-total solar eclipse while the moon is basking in near-full daylight,” he said. “The only way to appreciate this perspective is to be positioned between the two celestial bodies.”
Koch added that, despite their excitement, the crew managed to find time to relax and sleep comfortably within the 16.5-foot-wide Orion capsule, which offers habitable space roughly similar to that of a camper.
Sleep is among the many essential aspects that occupy a space traveler’s day.
“Being human here is one of the most rewarding facets of this mission,” Koch said. “We’re just humans trying to thrive. One moment we could be marveling at the far side of the moon, and then, it might hit us, ‘Hmm, perhaps I should change my socks,’ and start hunting for them. That encapsulates the essence of human spaceflight.”
The four astronauts took the opportunity to communicate with their families on Friday and Saturday, an experience Wiseman described as a significant highlight.
“It was surreal,” he expressed. “For a brief moment, I was reunited with my little family. It was the best moment of my life.”
The Artemis II crew has been busy since their move into space. Shortly after launch, they initiated tests of various life support systems on the Orion capsule. Although they faced a few minor setbacks, including technical issues with email and the space toilet, the flight has been mostly smooth sailing.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
