Artemis II Astronauts Will Be First Humans to Get Full View of Moon's Strange Bullseye
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
When it eventually takes to the skies, the crew of Artemis II will be the first humans to get a full, clear view of Mare Orientale on the far side of the Moon.
While NASA's Artemis II mission will not be the first crewed spacecraft to pass round the far side of the Moon (that achievement goes to Apollo 8 in 1968), there is one aspect of the forthcoming mission - scheduled to blast off in early April - that will be a historic first. That's because all the previous Apollo crews rounded or orbited the Moon at a low altitude - and all saw the lunar surface from close-up. However, when they round the Moon the crew of Artemis II will be at a significantly higher altitude, so they will enjoy ‘wide angle’ views of the Moon. And, cameras willing, we will all get to see it too.
They’ll also be rounding the Moon as the far side - the side of the Moon we can’t see from Earth - is bathed in sunlight, so they’ll have front row views of fascinating features no Apollo astronauts ever saw clearly. This means the crew of Artemis II will be the first human beings to look down into the dark heart of one of the most dramatic, most beautiful features on the Moon: the famous, mysterious and elusive Eastern Sea - Mare Orientale.
Mare Orientale is truly enormous. An impact basin more than 900km wide, it is one of the largest features on the Moon. With its three rings of mountains surrounding a dark centre, it looks like a huge bullseye target. As they fly over it, they will be the first human beings in history to see it in all its glory.
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