‘Absolutely spectacular’: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon

Absolutely spectacular: Artemis II crew’s first view of Moon’s far side

Nasa’s Artemis II mission crew has captured a rare view of the Moon’s far side, describing the experience as “absolutely spectacular.” The astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency representative Jeremy Hansen—are in their third day aboard the Orion spacecraft, orbiting the Moon and preparing for their return to Earth. The mission’s unique perspective has allowed them to document the Orientale basin, which NASA notes represents the first full observation of the lunar feature by human eyes.

“Something about you senses that is not the Moon I’m used to seeing,” Koch remarked, reflecting on the unfamiliar terrain.

As of 23:00 BST Saturday, the spacecraft was over 180,000 miles (289,681 km) from Earth, according to NASA’s tracking dashboard. Meanwhile, a separate event saw more than 15,000 marshmallows released from a helicopter during the annual Great Marshmallow Drop, as children scrambled to collect them. The same day, the BBC’s Ione Wells reported on interactions between protesters and attendees at the Supreme Court hearing regarding President Donald Trump’s executive order.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were deployed to U.S. airports to support TSA during a partial government shutdown, contributing to extended delays at one major New York City hub. The wreckage of a plane that collided with a firefighting vehicle on the runway blocked access to a key runway, though no injuries were reported by Valero, the refinery operator.

Outside the Supreme Court, a former prosecutor with ties to President Trump shared insights from their criminal hush-money case representation. In Alabama, BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue interviewed a farmer who, despite financial strain, remains a supporter of the president. The installation “A Throne Fit for a King” was unveiled at the National Mall, critiquing Trump’s White House renovations.

Meanwhile, the New York airport faced prolonged delays as TSA agents worked without pay. In a related development, a yellow Labrador Retriever named Tessie was unharmed after a fall and rescue, returning to her yard post-incident. Video footage from the scene, analyzed by BBC Verify, detailed the moments leading to a deadly collision involving a fire truck.

Conservatives at the CPAC conference in Texas expressed mixed views on the current economic climate. The reactions followed a Los Angeles jury’s decision that Meta and Google intentionally designed addictive social media platforms detrimental to youth mental health. In a personal account, Savannah Guthrie shared her emotional journey after learning of her mother’s disappearance, questioning whether her fame played a role in the event.