Astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission are giving the world a rare new perspective of the Moon, capturing stunning images as they swept around its far side.
“It's really awesome up here... we now have the Moon and the Earth in window three simultaneously... and the Earth is so bright out there and the moon is just hanging in front of us.”
The photographs, taken from inside the Orion spacecraft, reveal the Moon in extraordinary detail – from rugged craters to vast shadowed valleys.
NASA releases moon images never-before-seen by human eyes, watch on TVNZ+
“There's just a lot of texture... that just pops right out at you when you zoom in.
“There's just so much magic... the islands of life... the valleys that look like black holes... like you'd fall straight to the centre of the moon if you stepped in some of those... it's just so visually captivating.”
At around 6500km above the lunar surface, the crew also witnessed Earth rising in the distance appearing as a thin crescent against the darkness of space.
They also captured a rare celestial moment, as the Moon passed in front of the Sun, revealing its glowing corona.
Stepping stone to returning humans to the Moon
The lunar flyby was a moment more than half a century in the making. (Source: 1News)
Despite the dramatic imagery, the mission itself was designed as a test laying the groundwork for future lunar landings.
University of Auckland physics professor Richard Easthher said the significance went far beyond the pictures.
“It is also a stepping stone to something that will be more memorable, which will be human beings landing on the moon, not for the second time, but for the second series of landings.”
NASA is aiming to return astronauts to the lunar surface later this decade, with Artemis II a crucial step in proving the spacecraft can safely carry humans around the Moon and back.
New Zealand already part of the mission
Experts say New Zealand is not just watching from afar – but already playing a role in space exploration.
“New Zealand is in a remarkable place… we're the third most frequent country to launch to space… so we could absolutely pick things as a country that we would do in space,” Easther said.
Andrew Johnson, deputy head of the New Zealand Space Agency, said the country has already contributed to NASA’s Artemis programme.
“The very first mission for the Artemis programme was a Pathfinder called Capstone that launched from Mahia off the east coast of New Zealand in 2022,” he said.
That mission helped test a unique lunar orbit, paving the way for future Artemis flights.
New Zealand was also involved in the current mission, with ground stations helping track the Orion spacecraft as it hurtled through deep space.
Beyond Artemis, the country’s space sector was growing rapidly.
According to MBIE, the space sector generated an estimated $2.68 billion in revenue in 2024, supporting thousands of jobs and contributing billions more to the wider economy.
Rocket Lab – founded by Sir Peter Beck in 2006 – has become a key player globally, launching missions from Māhia and the United States, and is even planning a future mission to Venus to search for signs of life.
Could a Kiwi astronaut be next?
Collins said it is a balancing act between locals' concerns and making business easier. (Source: 1News)
With that growth, experts say it may only be a matter of time before a New Zealander heads into space.
“I think that's very possible,” Easther said.
Johnson said missions such as Artemis could inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
“This could be a career that you take up, you know, focusing on STEM subjects in school and at university as a sure path to having a career in this really exciting sector.”
For now, it’s the images that are capturing global attention, offering a perspective few humans have ever seen.
But for New Zealand, they may represent something more – a glimpse of a future where the country plays an even bigger role in space exploration.
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