Artemis II: Six Brief Meteor Impacts Light Up the Moon's Far Side

During Artemis II's flyby of the Moon's far side in near-dark conditions, the crew observed up to six brief flashes caused by tiny meteorites hitting the lunar surface; the flashes lasted under a second and weren't captured by the onboard cameras, but NASA confirmed they were natural impacts. The event, visible due to the solar eclipse darkening the far side, helps refine models of meteoroid risk for future bases and informs shielding and habitat planning for lunar exploration.