The 'Earth setting' photo goes viral.

This "Earth setting" image was taken from the far side of the Moon as the Orion spacecraft approached the satellite. Photo: NASA .

On April 6th, the Orion spacecraft of the Artemis II mission completed its orbit around the Moon, approaching within 4,067 miles (6,546 km) of its surface. During this process, the crew reached a point 252,756 miles (406,820 km) from Earth, breaking the Apollo 13 record for the furthest distance ever traveled by humans in space.

The orbital flight lasted 7 hours. Communication between the spacecraft and Earth was interrupted for about 40 minutes when Orion entered the far side of the Moon. During that time, the crew witnessed two rare phenomena: Earth "setting," gradually disappearing behind the lunar horizon, and a total solar eclipse as seen from space, when the Moon obscured the Sun.

Approximately 21% of the Moon's dark side is illuminated from the crew's perspective. This is an area that the human eye has never before been able to observe directly from such a close distance.

"When we're on the far side of the Moon, looking back at Earth, you really feel like you're not in the spacecraft anymore. It's really mind-boggling. It's an extraordinary human experience," said Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Commander Reid Wiseman sent his thanks to the NASA science team.

"We were well-prepared and the crew appreciated everything. This is what we do best when we work together as a team. You all did a great job," Wiseman said.

Dr. Kelsey Young, the mission's scientist, said the journey will provide answers to the mysteries surrounding the Moon.

The far side of the Moon as captured by the Artemis II crew. Photo: NASA .

"I can't possibly express how much scientific information we've gathered. Thank you for the inspiration you've given to the entire team, the lunar scientific community, and the world . You've truly brought the Moon closer to us today," shared Dr. Kelsey Young.

The crew took thousands of photographs throughout the journey, including images of the Orientale basin on the far side of the Moon. This was also the first time humans had directly observed this area. These valuable images will help scientists better understand the origin and geology of the Moon, and will also be useful for future landing missions.

Artemis II was launched on April 1st from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with four astronauts: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. This was the first crewed flight to orbit the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Furthermore, Artemis II was a direct preparation for the Artemis III landing mission, planned for the coming years.