Industry
The Moon is already on Google Maps—did Artemis II really tell us anything new?
NASA's Artemis II mission, which launched April 1, 2026, sent four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1...
NASA's Artemis II mission, which launched April 1, 2026, sent four astronauts — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972, completing a free-return trajectory around the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific on April 10–11. While the Moon's surface has long been mapped and is even viewable on Google Maps, Artemis II provided unique human-perspective observations, including views of the lunar far side during a communications blackout, a total solar eclipse as seen from cislunar space, and detailed imagery of "Earthset" and the lunar surface. NASA officials described the mission as a crucial proving ground for systems and procedures needed for future crewed lunar landings, with data gathered set to inform Artemis III and later flights.
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Source: industry