Artemis II Crew Prepares for Historic Moon Flyby, Surpassing Apollo 13 Record

NASA's Artemis II mission will carry astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in over 50 years.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 3:04am

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The four-person Artemis II crew has crossed the halfway point of its journey to the moon, with NASA releasing new imagery Saturday as the astronauts prepare for a historic lunar flyby on Monday that will carry them farther from Earth than any humans have traveled in more than five decades. The mission marks the first crewed flight of NASA's Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, with astronauts tasked with testing life-support systems, navigation, communications and manual spacecraft controls during a multi-day journey around the moon.

Why it matters

Artemis II is a critical test flight to prove that NASA's new deep-space systems can safely carry humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in more than five decades. The mission is a key step in NASA's longer-term plan to establish a sustained human presence on the moon and prepare for future missions to Mars.

The details

During the flyby, the crew will follow the same figure-eight, free-return trajectory used by Apollo 13 in 1970, when an oxygen tank rupture forced Mission Control to abandon the lunar landing and swing the spacecraft around the moon to bring the crew home safely. At closest approach, the Orion capsule will come within 4,070 miles (6,550 kilometers) of the lunar surface. The astronauts will split into pairs and take turns photographing the moon, capturing images of the far side - including portions of Orientale Basin - that have never been seen directly by human eyes. A total solar eclipse, visible only from inside the capsule, will also greet the crew as the moon blocks the sun and exposes the shimmering solar corona.

  • On April 1, 2026, the Artemis II mission launched from Florida.
  • On April 10, 2026, the Artemis II crew is targeting a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

The players

Artemis II Crew

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission, including Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

NASA

The U.S. space agency overseeing the Artemis program and the Artemis II mission, which is designed as a critical test flight to prove that NASA's new deep-space systems can safely carry humans beyond low Earth orbit.

Apollo 13 Crew

The crew of the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, including Commander Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert, who followed a similar figure-eight, free-return trajectory around the moon after an oxygen tank rupture forced Mission Control to abandon the lunar landing.

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What they’re saying

“The Moon is special in so many ways. Scientifically, it provides opportunities we simply don't have on Earth. It's near enough to reach with robotic explorers and humans. And for all of us on Earth, it's special because it's ours.”

— NASA

“As the @NASAArtemis II crew approaches the Moon, they will get a firsthand view of the Moon's surface. One of the most striking (pun intended) features they will see is the craters which mark its surface, and are especially numerous on the far side, which the crew will be able to directly see. These craters are formed by impacts that have happened over the history of our Solar System and act as a sort of historical record of the conditions around the Earth and Moon.”

— Chris Williams, NASA astronaut

“Our four astronauts aboard Orion said it was a great ride during launch. Artemis II is on its way to the Moon. This mission is critical in setting us up for success for our next missions -- Artemis III, Artemis IV, and beyond.”

— Jared Isaacman, NASA administrator

What’s next

After completing the lunar flyby on Monday, Artemis II will begin its four-day return to Earth, targeting a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10 — nine days after its April 1 launch from Florida. During the trip home, the crew will connect via radio with astronauts aboard the International Space Station, marking the first time a lunar crew has had colleagues in orbit simultaneously.

The takeaway

Artemis II's historic moon flyby, which will surpass the distance record set by Apollo 13 over 50 years ago, represents a major milestone in NASA's ambitious Artemis program to return humans to the lunar surface and establish a sustained presence on the moon. This mission paves the way for more complex and ambitious Artemis missions in the coming years, as the agency works toward its goal of landing the first woman and first person of color on the moon.