Summary
NASA's Artemis II mission released new images of the moon's far side, which the crew saw illuminated for the first time. Apollo astronauts did not see this because their missions took routes that kept the far side mostly in shadow. The Artemis II mission also set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
Key Facts
- Artemis II is the first human mission to the moon's vicinity since Apollo in 1972.
- The mission's crew saw the far side of the moon lit up by sunlight.
- Apollo missions didn't see the far side because it was in shadow during their flights.
- The Artemis II mission followed a similar path to Apollo 13 but passed the far side when it was lit.
- The crew set a new distance record by traveling 252,756 miles from Earth.
- The mission included the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Canadian astronaut to reach the moon's vicinity.
