Blackouts and broken records: Five key moments from Artemis II’s lunar flyby

Crew of Orion capsule spent emotional day documenting surface of moon – and paying homage to astronauts who paved the way

Shot of moon from artemis flyby from NYT/Nasa 7/4/26

On the sixth day of a lunar mission that has rekindled global interest in space exploration and reinvigorated Nasa’s aims to return to the moon, the astronauts of Artemis II flew further from Earth than any human before them.

Across a six-hour flyby, the crew of the Orion capsule captured views of the moon’s far side that have never been seen before – while honouring the astronauts who paved the way for their record-breaking mission.