NASA and POLSA success. A Pole comments on the historic flight. These photos will change the future of bases on the Moon

Astronauts of the Artemis II mission were able to observe formations on the Moon that had never been seen before by any human mission. Astronauts analyzed them so-called with your own eyes in real time – this is a huge advantage over robotic missions – Mariusz Słonina from POLSA told PAP.

On the night from Monday to Tuesday, astronauts of the Artemis II mission spent six hours exploring the unlit hemisphere of the Moon, observing phenomena invisible from Earth and taking detailed photographs of the Silver Globe. During the flight over the far side, during which communication with NASA was impossible, the crew witnessed the phenomenon of Earth rising and setting. Astronauts also observed live light flares resulting from meteoroid impacts on the lunar surface.

Hello, Moon. It's great to be back.

Here's a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon. Check out more photos from the mission: https://t.co/rzM1P0QbOl pic.twitter.com/6jWINHkDLh

— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026

As he pointed out popularizer of astronomy Karol Wójcicki on the profile “With your head in the stars”for the purpose of observation, the Orion spacecraft positioned itself so that the main windows of the capsule were directed towards the lunar surface. The crew got close enough – at the closest point about 6,500 km above the surface – to make detailed scientific observations. The astronauts worked with a list of about 30 targets prepared by NASA's science team. These included, among others: powerful impact structures such as the East Sea – one of the best-preserved traces of giant collisions from billions of years ago, the much older and more “damaged” Hertzsprung crater, or the Reiner Gamma object – a “vortex” on the surface, the origin of which scientists are still trying to explain. The crew reported on an ongoing basis differences in color, brightness and surface structure.

– The mission's flight trajectory is such that the astronauts had the opportunity to observe craters or objects on the lunar surface that no human mission, i.e. the Apollo mission, had the chance to see before. It was an amazing opportunity to get high resolution photos. Astronauts – using completely new equipment – we have had over 50 years of technological changes since the Apollo program – were able to observe the surface of the Moon, including the circumpolar regions. They are of direct interest to manned missions to the Moon. There may be water there – he told PAP Mariusz Słonina, head of the SSA POLSA Operations Center.

The astronauts observed the formations on the lunar surface from different perspectives and in different lighting conditions, depending on where the Orion spacecraft was in its trajectory.

– They took photographs of the lunar surface using various lenses, but also recorded voice notes of their impressions. They were trained for this task by geologists. They learned how to describe geological formations, for example, in Iceland. First of all, the mission is an incredible opportunity to conduct geological research on the Moon's surface, in particular with a view to building bases on the Moon in the future, noted Mariusz Słonina.

He emphasized that the fact that the human eye could compare or analyze the live view of various lunar formations in real time makes a huge difference between robotic exploration and human exploration.

– The ability for astronauts to determine the color of rocks is also very important information for geologists. By knowing how light is reflected, it is possible to map the elements or minerals that are present on the surface of a given formation. And I think that scientists and geologists will receive a lot of material for analysis, which will allow them to select potential landing sites for future missions. And since we are getting ready for a longer stay on the Moon – the scientific part of the Artemis II mission plays the first fiddle – described the expert.

He pointed out that the astronauts also experienced a solar eclipse – so they could also see fainter objects, e.g. other stars. – The fact that they were able to notice them during the eclipse helps, for example, in navigation, in training subsequent crews, or in case some instruments fail. This is also how the Apollo 13 astronauts navigated during their emergency return to Earth, using the star system – explained Mariusz Słonina.

Using their unique perspective, astronauts gave working names to two previously unnamed craters. One of them was named “Integrity” after the spacecraft. The second was named “Carroll” to commemorate the mission commander's wife, who died of cancer in 2020.

The Artemis II flight is the first manned expedition to the Moon since the Apollo program. It is a dress rehearsal before the human landing on the surface of a natural satellite, planned for 2028. The Artemis II crew includes four astronauts – three Americans: Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Canadian Jeremy Hansen.

The crew has already started the return journey, which will end with a landing in the Pacific on Friday.

Ewelina Krajczyńska-Wujec (PAP)

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