NASA says Artemis II crew to view unseen parts of Moon during lunar flyby

ISTANBUL

Monday’s lunar flyby will let the Artemis II crew view previously unseen parts of the Moon, NASA has said.

During a six-hour observation on Monday, the crew will reach their closest point to the Moon while passing around its far side.

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate lead Kelsey Young said on Saturday that parts of the Moon’s far side remain largely unseen because Apollo missions were timed to land when the near side was illuminated, leaving the far side less observed by human eyes.

"So as they get closer, they'll be able to see features that human eyes have never before seen," Young said at a news conference.

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) Program official John Honeycutt said areas previously seen only by robotic spacecraft are now visible to humans, citing a recent image captured from the Orion spacecraft.

The crew will also observe a solar eclipse lasting about 53 minutes, occurring roughly an hour after Earthrise.

The Artemis II mission is part of a broader plan to return humans to the Moon and eventually establish a permanent lunar base for future exploration.