“We’re coming back,” announced Christina Koch, the seasoned explorer who made history as the first woman to fly over the. Despite her awe, her words were full of landing: “We will be sources of inspiration, but we will always choose Earth.”
The crew, consisting of the Americans Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and the Canadian Jeremy Hansen, of the Moon and is expected to land on Friday off the coast of California, with the help of the parachutes of the Orion capsule.
LIVE: Watch with us as the Artemis II astronauts make their closest approach to the Moon, traveling farther from Earth than ever before.
— NASA (@NASA)
A “snowman” on the Moon and the solar eclipse
For nearly seven hours, the astronauts clung to the portholes, observing the lunar landscape from an angle that no one had seen on the Apollo missions.
The descriptions: Pilot Victor Glover, the first black astronaut on a lunar mission, described a striking double crater that looked like a “snowman,” noting the distinctive brown and greenish shadows of the terrain.
Artemis II is now entering a solar eclipse that will last for about an hour as Orion, the Moon and the Sun align. During this phase, the crew will see the Sun disappear behind a mostly darkened Moon.
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis)
The cosmic spectacle: As the craft passed behind the moon, the crew witnessed a solar eclipse, with the Moon completely blocking the Sun. “It was worthy of a science fiction movie,” Glover exclaimed.
🌞🌕🧑🚀
Right now, the Orion capsule is passing behind the Moon, so the Sun is entirely eclipsed from their perspective. During this time, they will view a mostly darkened Moon and will use the opportunity to analyze the solar corona.
— NASA (@NASA)
“Some of the features they observed, no human eye had ever seen before,” explained Jenny Gibbons of the control center in Houston, noting that high-definition cameras (GoPro) broadcast the experience via Netflix and YouTube, but the human eye remains the most sensitive sensor.
The thrill of ‘Integrity’ and ‘Carroll’ craters
One of the most charged moments of the mission was the naming of two craters. One was named “Integrity” in honor of their vessel, while the second was named “Carroll”, in memory of the captain Reed Wiseman’s wife, who passed away in 2020. The proposal was made by Jeremy Hansen, bringing tears to the crew, during the live broadcast.
Trump’s message and the bet of 2028
US President Donald Trump contacted the crew to congratulate them, stressing that the new distance record of 406,771 kilometers is proof of the rebirth of the US space program. Trump repeated his promise of a future manned mission to Mars.
WATCH IN FULL 🇺🇸
— The White House (@WhiteHouse)
NASA is now targeting 2028 for the official landing of astronauts on the moon, if the Orion capsule tests continue with the same success. The day had begun with the recorded message of the legendary Jim Lovell (who passed away in 2025): “Don’t forget to enjoy the view.” The crew of Artemis II certainly did, capturing a new “Earth sunrise” that will go down in history.
