Get you up to speed: Nasa astronauts capture historic images of moon’s Orientale Basin during flyby
Images captured by the Artemis II crew during their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, show the Orientale Basin on the far side of the Moon. The crew surpassed the distance record of 248,655 miles set by Apollo 13, with expectations to beat it by more than 4,100 miles.
On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew surpassed the distance record previously held by Apollo 13, reaching a new record of over 248,655 miles from Earth. During their flyby of the moon, astronaut Jeremy Hansen proposed naming a crater “Carroll” in memory of Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife.
The Artemis II crew is currently engaged in the ongoing mission of their lunar flyby, expected to surpass the Apollo 13 distance record by more than 4,100 miles (6,600 km). They proposed naming two craters on the Moon, Integrity and Carroll, in remembrance of their spacecraft and Commander Reid Wiseman’s wife, respectively.
People think Nasa’s Artemis II has found a face on the dark side of the moon | News World
The picture was taken on the far side of the moon – can you see the face? (Picture: AFP)
Images captured by the Artemis II crew while passing the Orientale Basin on the moon appear to show a smiling face.
While conducting their lunar flyby on April 6, the astronauts captured a full view of the Orientale Basin – a dark crater on the far side of the moon that had never been seen in full before.
Eagle-eyed followers of the mission were quick to point out a smiling face spotted in one crater.
One replied: ‘It’s cute like a hippo,’ referencing internet mega-star Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo from Thailand.
Another doodled a smiling face on the crater and said, ‘This is all I see.’
Some pointed out the resemblance to the manga and anime character Doraemon, a robotic cat who time-travels.
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Some online opted to make it a simple emoji (Picture: X)
One close-up appeared to resemble internet hippo Moo Deng (Picture: X)
The images of the ‘smiley’ crater came just days after the Artemis II astronauts became the farthest humans from Earth ever.
The record-breaking crew chose the poignant moment to propose naming two craters on the dark side of the moon after their ship, Integrity and commander Reid Weisman’s wife, Carroll, who sadly passed away before the mission.
Jeremy Hanson said in a tearful communication as they floated 248,655 miles from Earth: ‘We lost a loved one.’
Pointing out the never-before-seen crater, he said: ‘There is a feature on the near side boundary of the moon, and so at certain times we will be able to see it from Earth.
‘We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll, she was the mother of Katie and Ellie. It’s a bright spot on the moon. We would like to call it Carroll.’
‘Integrity and Carroll crater. Loud and clear,’ Houston replied.
Astronauts on board are having a blast during the mission (Picture: NASA)
Stunning new photos from the mission were released this week (Picture: NASA)
The six-hour flyby is the highlight of Nasa’s first return to the moon since the Apollo era.
Less than an hour before kicking off the fly-around and intense lunar observations, the four astronauts surpassed the distance record of 248,655 miles (400,171 km) set by Apollo 13 in April 1970.
They kept going, hurtling ever farther from Earth. Before it was all over, Mission Control expected Artemis II to beat the old record by more than 4,100 miles (6,600 km).
The astronauts woke up to the voice of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who recorded the message just two months before his death last August. ‘Welcome to my old neighbourhood,’ said Lovell, who also flew on Apollo 8, humanity’s first lunar visit.
‘It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view.’
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