NASA released a new image of the Moon on Sunday, captured by the crew of the Artemis II mission. The astronauts are currently flying around the Moon with the aim of photographing its unexplored far side.

The image shows the full view of the Orientale Basin located on the right edge of the Moon’s surface. This marks the first time the entire basin has been seen directly by human eyes.

“In this new image from our @NASAArtemis II crew, you can see the Orientale Basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes,” NASA said in a post.

History in the making

In this new image from our @NASAArtemis II crew, you can see Orientale basin on the right edge of the lunar disk. This mission marks the first time the entire basin has been seen with human eyes. pic.twitter.com/iqjod6gqgz

— NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026

First Human Lunar Mission in Over 50 Years

The mission includes four astronauts travelling aboard the Orion spacecraft. The crew members are Jeremy Hansen from Canada, and Americans Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch. They are the first humans to travel toward the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Koch and Glover are also set to make history as the first woman and first Black astronaut to travel to the Moon.

Mission Goal: Study the Moon’s Far Side

The main goal of Artemis II is to capture detailed images of the Moon’s far side, which is not visible from Earth. This mission is the first crewed lunar journey in more than 53 years and continues the work started by NASA’s Apollo programme.

Record-Breaking Journey

Artemis II is expected to set a new record for human space travel distance. The spacecraft will travel more than 252,000 miles (400,000 km) from Earth before looping around the Moon and returning, without landing or entering lunar orbit.

The current record is held by Apollo 13. Reports say the Orion spacecraft had already crossed halfway to the Moon by Sunday. The mission will last nearly 10 days and is scheduled to end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.

Step Towards Future Moon Missions

This mission is an important part of NASA’s long-term plan to establish a lasting human presence on the Moon. The agency aims to send astronauts to the Moon’s south pole by 2028.

Toilet Malfunction Challenges Crew

Despite a successful launch, the astronauts faced an unexpected issue onboard a malfunctioning toilet system. Until the problem is resolved, Mission Control has advised the crew to rely more on backup urine collection bags. Reports suggest that ice may be blocking the system, preventing proper waste disposal.

However, the toilet is still working for solid waste. John Honeycutt, chair of the mission management team, said the system is not fully working but is still usable, and the astronauts are safe.

Mission Continues Smoothly

Even with the technical issue, the Artemis II mission is progressing as planned. The crew continues its historic journey, marking a major step forward in human space exploration.