Orion astronauts send unique video of the Moon to Earth

NASA has released a video of the lunar surface with a high level of detail, taken from the Orion spacecraft during a flight near the Earth’s satellite. The video was transmitted to Earth using a modern optical laser communication system: unlike traditional radio waves, data is transmitted using a modulated laser beam directed from the spacecraft to ground receiving stations from a distance of hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

During the orbital flyby, Orion approached the lunar surface to a record-breaking distance and captured images of the satellite’s backside. After completing the maneuver, the spacecraft headed back to Earth.

The day before, the mission was marked by an important achievement: the crew set a new record for the distance of human flight from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 expedition. Orion reached the farthest point of the route when it flew over the back of the Moon.

The Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft was launched on April 1 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The mission will last about 10 days. The last time people flew to the Moon was in December 1972 as part of the Apollo 17 mission.

Prior to the flight, the Artemis II astronauts underwent geological field training in Iceland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, areas whose landscapes are most similar to those of the Moon.