Artemis II beats Apollo 13 record, sends humans farthest from Earth
Houston: A 56-year-old record for the farthest distance travelled by humans from Earth was broken on Monday as NASA’s Artemis II astronauts swept past the moon during a historic lunar flyby, marking a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space exploration. The four-member crew surpassed the previous record of 248,655 miles set by Apollo 13 in April 1970, with Mission Control estimating the new mark exceeded it by more than 4,100 miles.
The achievement came just ahead of the mission’s six-hour fly-around of the moon, the centerpiece of NASA’s first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. As their Orion spacecraft approached the lunar surface, the astronauts witnessed expansive views of the far side of the moon, a region never directly seen from Earth. The crew includes three Americans, Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The spacecraft passed within approximately 4,070 miles of the moon, executing a precise loop before beginning its return trajectory toward Earth. The mission is expected to conclude with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on Friday, following a four-day journey home.
Artemis II is following a free-return trajectory, the same path used during Apollo 13 after an onboard oxygen tank explosion forced NASA to abandon its planned landing. This route uses the gravitational pull of Earth and the moon to guide the spacecraft in a figure-eight pattern, allowing it to return safely without requiring major propulsion changes.
During the flyby, the astronauts carried out a series of observations and imaging tasks. Among their key targets was the Orientale Basin, a vast impact formation stretching nearly 600 miles across and known for its distinct ringed structure. The crew also observed the sites of Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 landings, along with portions of the moon’s south polar region, where future missions aim to send astronauts.
The timing of the mission also allowed the crew to witness a rare celestial alignment. Having launched last Wednesday, Artemis II was positioned to observe a total solar eclipse from behind the moon, offering a unique vantage point of the sun, Earth and lunar surface. The astronauts have also reported views of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn, alongside a distant perspective of Earth. NASA geologist Kelsey Young, who trained the crew in lunar geology, said the mission is expected to generate thousands of images. “People all over the world connect with the moon. This is something that every single person on this planet can understand and connect with,” she said ahead of the flyby.
For the astronauts, the mission also carries a broader human perspective. Glover, reflecting during Christianity’s Holy Week, described Earth as “an oasis” in the vastness of space. “This is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we’ve got to get through this together,” he said.
Artemis II is a key step in NASA’s long-term lunar plans. Artemis III is expected to test docking procedures in lunar orbit, while Artemis IV aims to land astronauts near the moon’s south pole by 2028, advancing efforts to establish a sustained human presence beyond Earth.
