Artemis II crew take new photo of far side of the moon

Space Artemis II crew capture new photo of far side of the moon By Emily Mae Czachor Emily Mae Czachor News Editor Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek. Read Full Bio Emily Mae Czachor April 5, 2026 / 1:50 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission captured a new photo of the far side of the moon on Saturday, on the fourth day of the astronauts' lunar journey.NASA released the image on Sunday. In it, the moon is oriented upside down, with its South Pole facing upward and parts of its far side visible, according to the agency's description. The Orientale basin, a massive crater that's hard to see from Earth, is situated along the right edge of the moon in the latest picture, NASA said, adding that the Artemis II voyage marks the first time humans have ever seen the basin in full.The Orientale basin will be an ongoing subject of study for members of the Orion spacecraft's four-person crew, which includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. The Artemis II crew captured a new image of the far side of the moon on Day 4 of their lunar flight. NASA "The Artemis II crew will continue to observe Orientale from multiple angles as they approach the Moon and throughout the lunar flyby," said NASA. The agency noted how the basin can be "used as a baseline to compare other impact craters on rocky worlds from Mercury to Pluto." The Artemis II mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, last week, in the first piloted moonshot since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago. It is meant to be a test flight that sets the stage for future missions that return astronauts to the moon.On "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Sunday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman u...