The Artemis 2 mission is currently discussing its planned trajectory towards the Moon’s far side, or “dark side,” during ongoing conversations with NASA teams. The Orion spacecraft will undertake a flyby of this largely unexplored region of our natural satellite, representing a key objective of the mission. During the maneuver, the spacecraft will pass behind the dark side, resulting in a temporary loss of communication with the four astronauts aboard.
Teams on Earth will experience a brief disruption in contact as the Orion capsule moves into an area not visible from our vantage point. Specialist Christina Koch described her initial observation of the Moon from within the Orion capsule. She noted that the lunar surface appeared markedly different compared to its appearance as viewed from Earth.
This represents the first direct visual data collected of the Moon’s far side, furthering the mission’s scientific goals and providing valuable insights into this enigmatic area.
