Artemis II Set to Break Apollo 13's Distance Record on Monday

The Artemis II crew's lunar flyby promises views of the moon's far side and a total solar eclipse.

Apr. 5, 2026 at 7:13pm

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The Artemis II mission is set to break the distance record for human spaceflight previously held by Apollo 13, with the four-person crew scheduled to fly around the moon on Monday. The roughly six-hour lunar flyby will allow the astronauts to capture views of the moon's far side and witness a total solar eclipse, providing a unique perspective on Earth's celestial companion.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission marks a significant milestone in the renewed era of lunar exploration, paving the way for future Artemis missions to establish a permanent human presence on the moon. The mission's record-breaking distance and scientific observations will contribute to our understanding of the moon and its relationship to Earth.

The details

During the lunar flyby, the Artemis II astronauts will split into pairs and take turns capturing the lunar views out their windows with cameras, including a good portion of the far side of the moon that has never been seen by humans. The crew will also witness a total solar eclipse, providing them with a rare opportunity to observe the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona. While Orion will be out of direct communication with Mission Control for nearly an hour when it's behind the moon, NASA's Deep Space Network will maintain contact with the crew.

  • Artemis II launched last week, embarking on humanity's first trip to the moon since 1972.
  • The lunar flyby is scheduled for Monday, April 10, 2026.
  • The Orion capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific near San Diego on April 10, nine days after its Florida launch.

The players

Artemis II

The second mission in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.

Apollo 13

The 1970 NASA mission that set the previous distance record for human spaceflight, reaching a maximum of 248,655 miles from Earth before making a lifesaving U-turn.

Judd Frieling

The flight director for the Artemis II mission, discussing the program's near-term ambitions to establish a moon base.

Kelsey Young

A NASA geologist who helped prepare the Artemis II astronauts by creating lunar geography flashcards for them to study.

Christina Koch

One of the four Artemis II astronauts, who noted that breaking the distance record is an important milestone that people can understand and relate to.

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What they’re saying

“We'll get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force.”

— Judd Frieling, Flight Director

“They've practiced for many, many, many months on visualizations of the moon, and getting their eyes on the real thing, I'm really, really looking forward to them bringing the moon a little closer to home on Monday.”

— Kelsey Young, NASA Geologist

“It's an important milestone 'that people can understand and wrap their heads around,' merging the past with the present and even the future when new records are set.”

— Christina Koch, Artemis II Astronaut

What’s next

After the Artemis II mission, NASA plans to send the Artemis III mission to the lunar surface, with the goal of establishing a permanent human presence on the moon through a series of future Artemis missions.

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission represents a significant step forward in humanity's return to the moon, building on the legacy of the Apollo program and paving the way for a new era of lunar exploration and scientific discovery.