As NASA’s Artemis II mission prepares for a 10-day journey around the Moon, the four-person crew will have the opportunity to view lunar surface features unseen by previous human eyes. The mission, currently scheduled for no earlier than April 1, 2026, will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a trajectory that will take them farther from Earth than any previous crewed mission.
During the flight, the crew will observe the lunar far side – often called the “dark side” because it always faces away from Earth – a region largely unobservable from Earth-based telescopes and only briefly glimpsed during the Apollo missions. The Artemis II trajectory will allow for views of areas Apollo astronauts could not see due to the orbits of their capsules, offering a new perspective on the Moon’s hidden hemisphere.
The mission represents a key step in NASA’s Artemis program, aiming for a sustained return to the Moon and eventual missions to Mars. According to NASA, Artemis II will demonstrate the capabilities needed for deep space missions, testing the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft with a crew for the first time.
Scientists emphasize that despite decades of lunar observation, significant mysteries remain. “We’ve been observing the Moon throughout human history, and it’s even been visited by astronauts and numerous robotic missions,” said Jeff Andrews-Hanna, a professor at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. “But, We find still many things we don’t understand about the Moon at a very basic level.”
The Apollo missions, while groundbreaking, focused on sites near the lunar equator on the near side, chosen for their relatively flat terrain and communication accessibility. This limited sampling has prompted scientists to seek a more comprehensive understanding of the Moon’s composition, and history. “The samples are not fully representative of the diversity of the Moon,” Andrews-Hanna explained.
Exploring different lunar regions through the Artemis program could reveal clues about the stark differences between the near and far sides, the amount of water present on the Moon, and the celestial body’s evolution over time. The mission will fly approximately 6,400 miles (10,300 kilometers) above the lunar surface.
Studying the Moon also offers insights into the early history of Earth. The prevailing theory suggests the Moon formed from debris ejected after a Mars-sized object collided with Earth billions of years ago. “I feel of the Moon as Earth’s eighth continent,” said Noah Petro, chief of NASA’s Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab. “When we study the Moon, we are really studying an extension of Earth.”
The Apollo missions revealed the presence of anorthosite, a type of igneous rock, prevalent on the near side of the Moon. This finding supported the giant impact theory, as anorthosite forms in slowly cooling magma oceans. Isotopic analysis of Apollo samples further reinforced this theory, showing similarities between lunar and Earth mantle isotopes.
However, the Moon remains asymmetrical in almost every aspect, a puzzle that has intrigued scientists since the Apollo missions concluded. The near side has a thin crust, low topography, and a concentration of KREEP – a geochemical component rich in heat-producing radioactive elements. The far side, in contrast, has a thicker crust, higher elevations, and less evidence of past volcanic activity.
During the Artemis II mission, the crew will capture images of impact craters and ancient lava flows, relaying their observations to scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for real-time analysis. The crew will also be prepared to observe potential micrometeorite impacts and any unusual dust activity around the Moon.
Future Artemis missions, including Artemis III, planned for a 2028 launch, aim to land astronauts in the lunar south polar region. Artemis IV will follow, with a focus on collecting samples from this region. These missions will deploy seismometers to study lunar quakes and investigate the amount of water ice trapped in permanently shadowed craters. A freezer will be deployed on Artemis V to allow for the return of frozen samples to Earth.
Currently, only about 5% of the lunar surface has been sampled, according to Carolyn Crow, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Department of Geological Sciences. Samples from the south pole, potentially containing material ejected from the lunar interior billions of years ago, could unlock new insights into the Moon’s early history.
