The White House on Tuesday shared the first photo taken by the Artemis II mission from the far side of the Moon, showing a stunning view captured during the astronauts\u2019 record-breaking journey.<\/p>\n
The photo was taken during NASA\u2019s Orion crew\u2019s historic flyby, which pushed astronauts farther from Earth than any humans before them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon,\u201d the White House posted on X on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2026\/04\/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-36-AM-4788.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNASA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The White House also released another dramatic photo showing the Moon eclipsing the Sun from the spacecraft\u2019s vantage point in lunar orbit.<\/p>\n
\u201cTotality, beyond Earth. From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun, revealing a view few in human history have ever witnessed,\u201d the White House said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2026\/04\/MixCollage-07-Apr-2026-08-45-AM-5621.jpg\")
<\/p>\nNASA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The images come as the Orion mission surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13, traveling roughly 252,756 miles from Earth. The crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.<\/p>\n
On Monday night, President Donald Trump called into the spacecraft, praising the astronauts as \u201cmodern day pioneers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve made history and made all America really proud, incredibly proud. We have a lot of things to be proud of lately, but there\u2019s nothing like what you\u2019re doing circling around the moon for the first time in more than a half a century, and breaking the all time record for the farthest distance from planet Earth,\u201d Trump told the astronauts. \u201cHumans have really never seen anything quite like what you\u2019re doing in a manned spacecraft, it\u2019s really special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He added that the mission represents a key step toward future space ambition, including establishing a permanent presence on the Moon and eventually traveling to Mars.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll plant our flag once again, and this time we won\u2019t just leave footprints. We\u2019ll establish a permanent presence on the moon, and we\u2019ll push on to Mars,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThat\u2019ll be very exciting. I\u2019m waiting for that so much. I\u2019d love to be here, but maybe we won\u2019t quite make it in terms of timing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Trump said he would like to get their autographs once they return to Earth, calling them \u201creally something.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen you want us, we will be there,\u201d Glover replied.<\/span><\/p>\n Koch said that the mission had highlighted to her the importance of space travel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to lead and not follow in exploring deep space,\u201d she told Trump. <\/span><\/p>\n Hansen thanked Trump on behalf of Canada, praising American leadership in space exploration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n