NASA Artemis II Astronauts Set to Fly by Far Side of the Moon.

The article focuses on NASA's Artemis II mission, during which a crew of four astronauts will perform a close flyby of the moon, reaching the nearest distance to the lunar surface by humans in over 50 years. The mission, launched on April 1, 2026, serves as a test of spacecraft systems for future lunar landings and will include photographing the moon's far side, much of which has never been seen directly by humans. The crew will also break the record for the farthest distance traveled in space, surpassing Apollo 13's 1970 record. Notably, astronaut Victor Glover will be the first Black person, Christina Koch the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen the first Canadian to travel to the moon. The mission includes a planned communications blackout while passing behind the moon and aims to gather scientific observations to enhance understanding of the lunar surface. [Extracted from the article]