Artemis II Astronauts Capture First Human-Eye View of Moon's Orientale Basin

The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission captured the first complete human-eye view of the Moon's Orientale Basin on April 5, 2026, as the Orion spacecraft traveled more than 320,000 kilometers from Earth — roughly two-thirds of the way to the Moon. Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency shared the image publicly, with NASA describing it as a historic milestone. The Orientale Basin sits on the boundary between the Moon's near and far sides and had previously been observed only by robotic instruments. The crew is scheduled to conduct a six-hour lunar flyby on the afternoon of Monday, April 6, 2026, which will mark the first crewed flight around the Moon since 1972.

Koch describes the far side as "spectacular" Christina Koch described the view of the lunar far side in an interview with NBC News conducted from space, noting that the Moon looked different through the Orion capsule window than it does from Earth. „The darker parts are just not in quite the right spot. That is the far side. That is something that we've never seen before.” — Christina Koch via NBC News Victor Glover told the Associated Press that Earth already appeared quite small to the crew, while the Moon continued to grow larger in their view. Koch also addressed the Orientale Basin specifically in a broadcast for children in Canada, calling it a "very special crater area" that no human had ever seen directly before. „For the first time, we were able to see the far side of the Moon and it was just spectacular.” — Christina Koch via AFP NASA noted that all four crew members were trained for over two years to study and describe lunar geological formations, and that their notes and photographs are expected to yield new information about the Moon's geology and history. The crew also reviewed a list of lunar surface features that NASA's science team requested they analyze and photograph during the upcoming flyby.

Artemis II is the first crewed mission to travel to the vicinity of the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, making it the first such flight in more than 50 years. The Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s did not include a dedicated toilet aboard the spacecraft — crew members used collection bags, which were left on the lunar surface to reduce the weight of the return vehicle. The Artemis program's ultimate goal is a crewed lunar landing, which NASA is now planning for 2028. The Artemis II mission had to be postponed multiple times due to technical problems before its April 1, 2026 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Frozen urine clogged the toilet — again The mission's most persistent technical problem resurfaced over the weekend, when the Orion spacecraft's toilet failed for a second time due to frozen urine blocking the vent line. „There is difficulty with discharging waste from the toilet. It appears we likely have frozen urine in the vent line.” — Judd Frieling via CNN Mission control responded by rotating the spacecraft so that sunlight could warm the pipes, which partially cleared the blockage. For a period, the toilet was operational only for solid waste, and the crew relied on backup bags for urine, according to the Associated Press. Repair efforts continued throughout Saturday, and mission control eventually announced full restoration of toilet functionality. „The crew rejoices.” — Christina Koch via CNN The Orion capsule is the first deep-space crewed vehicle to include a dedicated toilet — located behind doors in the floor near the entry hatch — a feature that Jeremy Hansen previously described as "the only place where we can go during the mission and actually feel alone for a while."

Wet towels replace showers 320,000 kilometers from Earth Victor Glover demonstrated personal hygiene practices aboard the Orion capsule following an exercise session, showing that a space "shower" consists primarily of wiping the body with a wet towel. A conventional shower is physically impossible in microgravity, as water droplets would scatter erratically through the cabin rather than fall, posing a risk of short circuits to the spacecraft's electronic systems. The technique used is known as dry cleaning, relying on special soaps and shampoos that do not require rinsing, according to details from the European Space Agency. Water management is described as one of the most complex logistical challenges aboard Orion, where severe space and resource limitations restrict cleaning to wipes and rinse-free products. On the International Space Station, water is recycled from air humidity and urine, but the Orion capsule operates under stricter constraints. The next major milestone for the crew comes Monday night, when the spacecraft is expected to enter the lunar sphere of influence — the point at which the Moon's gravity becomes stronger than Earth's pull — potentially setting a new record for the farthest distance any human has traveled from Earth.

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