Space

Even before splashdown, Artemis II is delivering a scientific treasure trove

The astronauts captured the moon in living color, details that may write new lunar history

The craggy, cratered surface of the moon with deep shadows

The boundary between lunar day and night is etched in stark relief, pebbled by jagged craters, in this shot of the eastern edge of the South Pole-Aitkin basin. The Artemis II crew captured the image during its April 6 flyby of the moon.

NASA

By Lisa Grossman

HOUSTON — As the Artemis II astronauts make their way inexorably back toward Earth, with splashdown scheduled for April 8, scientists on the ground are already poring over the data taken during a historic flight around the moon.