Photo: Artemis II Crew Becomes 1st Humans to See Moon’s Far Side with Naked Eye

The four-person crew of Artemis II has made history by being the first humans to view the far side of the Moon with the naked eye. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen entered Day 5 of their 10-day lunar flyby mission aboard the Orion spacecraft.

NASA shared a stunning photo showing both the Moon’s near side, the familiar side visible from Earth, and its far side, which had never before been observed directly by humans. 

“Make new friends, but keep the old,” NASA wrote on social media, highlighting the rare perspective captured by the crew.

Make new friends, but keep the old.

A new photo captures the Moon's near side on the right (the side we see from Earth, identifiable by its dark splotches) and its far side on the left. The Artemis II crew are the first to see the far side with human eyes. pic.twitter.com/Z8QaZ6J9iA

— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026

Commander Wiseman described the experience to Mission Control: “The four of us have looked at the Moon our entire lives, and the way we are responding to what we're seeing out the window is just like we're a bunch of kids up here. We cannot get enough of this. It’s amazing.”

NASA also posted a glimpse into the astronauts’ morning routine: “Wake up, shave, make the bed, witness something that's never before been seen by human eyes. The Artemis II crew is preparing for today’s lunar flyby, when they will see the Moon’s far side.”