Humanity is about to get its first in-person, up-close look at the Moon in more than half a century.
Four astronauts will spend about seven hours on Monday (April 6) observing the far side of the Moon, the half that constantly points away from Earth. At their closest approach on board their Orion spacecraft Integrity, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch of NASA and Jeremy Hansen with the Canadian Space Agency will be about 4,000 miles (6,400 km) above the surface. The last time any person came that close was during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Although the primary purpose of the Artemis II crew's observations will be to advance scientists' understanding of lunar geology, there is no doubt a spectator and inspirational interest to this as well. The flyby of the Moon is expected to be watched by millions of people on Earth, and while any view will be impressive, it may also leave many wanting for more.
