• Reid Wiseman captures unique Earth view during Artemis 2 mission
• Footage recorded on crewed journey paving the way for renewed lunar exploration

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander of the “Artemis 2” mission, has shared a rare video capturing the moment of Earth “setting” behind the far side of the Moon, in a view witnessed by only a handful of humans in history.

Wiseman described the moment as similar to watching a sunset on a beach, but from “the most distant seat in the universe,” calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” while filming the scene from the window of the Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit.

The mission launched on April 1, carrying three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut, with the crew spending 10 days in Earth and lunar orbit before returning and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

During the journey, the astronauts observed the Moon’s far side directly for the first time, capturing detailed images and observations of its craters and terrain, alongside additional footage taken with advanced cameras showing Earth in the background.

The scene echoes the historic “Earthrise” image captured during the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, while NASA continues preparing more advanced missions under the Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon.