Artemis II astronauts are flying past the moon’s far side, observing and photographing it before returning to Earth.

As the astronauts aboard Artemis II's Orion flew over the far side of the Moon on April 6, they and the mission's science officers back on Earth couldn't hide their excitement over the steady stream of observations being relayed about the lunar geography.

Follow live updates as NASA's Artemis II crew members circle the moon in the Orion spacecraft. The astronauts lifted off last week and are expected to come within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface.

NASA has temporarily lost contact with the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission as the Orion spacecraft passes behind the moon, a predicted communications blackout that marks a critical phase of the historic crewed lunar flyby.

The NASA-led Artemis II mission, carrying a four-person crew beyond Earth orbit for the first time since 1972, is conducting a seven-hour flyby of the moon.

Turns out the incredible photos taken by the astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are from the iPhone 17 Pro Max's front-facing camera and not its better rear shooters.

The astronauts on Artemis II will observe parts of the moon rarely seen by human eyes. A NASA planetary scientist said it will offer a vital perspective for lunar research.

The four astronauts onboard NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon have officially traveled farther from our home planet than any other human. At 1:57 P.M. EDT on Monday, NASA astronauts Reid