Artemis II Mission | 'History in the Making': NASA Shares Never-Seen-Before Image of Moon's Orientale Basin Captured by Artemis II Crew

Artemis II: NASA's Artemis II crew has a special name for their Orion spacecraft: "Integrity", and there's a meaningful story behind it.

The astronauts chose the name for their home away from home because it “embodies the foundation of trust, respect, candor, and humility” values that define the teams working behind the historic Artemis II mission.

For the crew, Integrity isn't just a label; it's a tribute to the dedication and character of everyone who made the journey around the Moon possible.

Artemis II: NASA's Artemis II crew has revealed what's on the menu for their historic mission around the Moon, and fans of comfort food can rest easy. Space, it turns out, has mac and cheese.

Food aboard the Orion spacecraft must meet strict requirements: it needs to be easy to prepare and consume in microgravity, produce minimal crumbs, and remain safe and stable throughout the duration of the mission. The crew provided input on their meal preferences well before the food was packed for the test flight, ensuring a taste of home on their journey to the lunar far side.

Artemis II: NASA has thanked the Artemis II astronauts for working through the weekend as the mission enters its fourth day. The crew continued preparations for Monday's trip around the Moon while also capturing stunning new images from their unique vantage point in deep space. 

Artemis II: NASA has shared a stunning image of the Moon captured by the Artemis II crew during their mission to fly around the lunar surface and photograph its mysterious far side. The image reveals the entire Orientale Basin on the right edge of the lunar disk — a sight never before seen with human eyes.

Sharing the photo on X, NASA wrote, "History in the making. In this new image from our @NASAArtemis II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes." 

On the downside, their toilet is on the blink again.

The three Americans and one Canadian are set to reach their destination Monday, photographing the mysterious lunar far side as they zoom around. It is the first moon-bound crew in more than 53 years, picking up where NASA's Apollo program left off.

“The Earth is quite small, and the moon is definitely getting bigger,” pilot Victor Glover reported.

Crew is expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles from launch to splashdown. The spacecraft will pass within 4,066 miles of the lunar surface during its closest approach and will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth, about 4,102 miles farther than Apollo 13.

NASA’s Artemis II mission is an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon including launch, a lunar flyby, and a safe splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

NASA has shared fresh pictures showing astronauts Christina H Koch and Reid Wiseman looking back at Earth from the Orion spacecraft as they continue to move deep into space en route Moon.

Sharing the pictures, NASA wrote, “This view just hits different.”

Artemis 2 astronauts are set to rehearse zero-gravity life-saving techniques and CPR procedures in space today.

NASA said, "Glover, Koch, and Hansen will demonstrate CPR procedures in space; Wiseman and Glover will check out some of Orion's medical kit, including the thermometer, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, and otoscope."

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared side-by-side pictures showing how our home planet Earth was captured on camera from space in 1972 by the crew of first Moon mission 'Apollo 17' and the second lunar mission ‘Artemis II’ in 2026.

NASA has retweeted astronaut Christina H. Koch’s 2020 post showing a crescent Moon from the ISS window, paired with her words: “Same crescent moon, one year ago, out our window from space. And we are still going there.” 

NASA confirms the Artemis II crew is now about halfway to the Moon aboard Orion. The astronauts are on track for their April 6 lunar fly‑by, where they will conduct scientific observations of the Moon’s surface. This milestone marks a major step in the 10‑day, 685,000‑mile journey bringing humanity closer to its first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years.  

Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman has captured a breathtaking image of Earth from the Orion spacecraft, showing our planet glowing against the vast darkness of space. Another photo taken Friday offers a fresh perspective of Earth’s illuminated edge more than 70,000 miles away. These striking visuals, shared by NASA give the world a rare glimpse of our home from humanity’s furthest journey since Apollo.  

NASA’s latest clip from the Artemis II mission captures the everyday rhythm aboard Orion. Pilot Victor Glover is shown powering through his exercise routine while Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen prepares the crew’s midday meal. The video offers a lively glimpse into how astronauts balance fitness and nutrition during their 10‑day, 685,000‑mile journey toward the April 6 lunar fly‑by highlighting the human side of deep‑space exploration.

Even in the shadow of space, our planet shines. In this image taken by the Artemis II crew, the electric lights of human activity sparkle across Earth’s surface, while sunlight gently illuminates the planet’s edge in the lower right. It’s a striking reminder that life on Earth radiates outward, even against the vast darkness of deep space.

Artemis II LIVE: Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch has set a groundbreaking record, becoming the farthest any woman has ever traveled from Earth. As Orion speeds past 70,000 miles on its way to a lunar fly‑by, Koch’s achievement adds a powerful milestone to the mission, underscoring the expanding role of women in humanity’s return to the Moon and future journeys toward Mars.