NASA released the first images from Artemis II on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, after the crew took them a day earlier during a seven-hour pass over the Moon’s far side. The photos mark humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity and show regions no human has ever seen before.
The release also included a rare in-space solar eclipse, one of the most striking moments from the historic test flight. NASA said the images were captured on April 6, underscoring how quickly the mission has begun returning new views from deep space to Earth.
Artemis II is being flown as a historic test flight, and the image release is part of NASA’s continued exploration of the Moon’s vicinity. For the public, the pictures are the first direct look at a part of the lunar surface that has remained hidden from human eyes until now.
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The next step is simple and exacting: NASA must keep turning this test flight into proof that the spacecraft and crew can do what the agency needs before pushing farther. The pictures show the mission has already done something no earlier crewed flight had done in this way, and they answer the question raised by the headline — the Artemis II crew has delivered a first look at Earth’s lunar view from the far side of the Moon.
