NASA astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis II mission observed the far side of the Moon—the surface invisible from Earth. In an interview with the BBC, the crew members shared their impressions of what they saw.

"Something in you tells you this isn't the Moon you're used to seeing," said astronaut Christina Koch.

According to NASA's online dashboard, as of 21:00 Moscow time on Saturday, the spacecraft had moved more than 289,000 kilometers from Earth. Earlier, on April 3, the agency released the first image of Earth taken from Orion: the photo depicts the planet as a crescent.

The mission launched on April 1, marking the first time humans have traveled to the Moon in over half a century. Artemis II is a test mission: its primary objective is to prepare for the Artemis III mission, which is planned to land astronauts on the lunar surface. The launch was originally scheduled for March, but technical issues necessitated a postponement. The subsequent program was also adjusted: the lunar landing, previously planned for 2027, was replaced by an additional research mission and rescheduled for 2028.