“We surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth,” said CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the Orion spacecraft, as Artemis II broke the spaceflight distance record.The crew hit 248,655 miles from Earth—beating Apollo 13’s 1970 record. Their peak will be 252,756 miles.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Hansen are six days into their mission. “Their dedication fuels our hope for a bold future,” said Dr. Lori Glaze.
After an April 1 launch on an SLS rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Orion set course for the Moon. Hansen emotionally challenged the world: “Make sure this record is not long-lived.”
The crew has named two lunar craters—Integrity for their spacecraft, and Carroll honoring Wiseman’s late wife. These will be submitted to the International Astronomical Union.
During their lunar flyby, they’ll approach within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface, seeing far-side regions no human has viewed. They’ll also witness a solar eclipse. A 40-minute communications blackout will occur as the Moon blocks Deep Space Network signals.
Handheld cameras and automated imagers will capture new lunar terrain. But the most powerful tools, NASA notes, are the four pairs of human eyes observing varied illumination and texture.
Splashdown is Friday, April 10, at 8:07 p.m. EDT off San Diego. Helicopters will bring crew to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks, then to NASA Johnson. Artemis II advances NASA’s plan for a Moon Base and crewed Mars missions.
