NASA's Artemis II Crew Completes Historic Lunar Flyby

The mission marks the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 5:09am

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The crew of NASA's Artemis II spacecraft successfully completed a lunar flyby on Monday, coming within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface. This mission marks the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth, surpassing the previous record set by Apollo 13. During the flyby, the astronauts conducted scientific observations of the moon's surface and tested key systems on the Orion spacecraft.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical milestone in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era. The data and experience gained from this mission will help inform future Artemis landing missions, including a potential crewed landing at the lunar south pole as early as 2028.

The details

At its closest point, the Artemis II crew will loop about 4,000 miles from the lunar surface. The astronauts will also venture farther into space than any previous human mission, reaching a maximum distance of 252,760 statute miles from Earth. During the flyby, the crew will make observations of about 35 geological features on the lunar surface, taking photos and describing them in real-time to scientists on the ground. The mission is also testing key systems on the Orion spacecraft, including manual control, life support, and the new deep-space toilet.

  • At 1:46 p.m. ET, the crew will surpass the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, which was set by the Apollo 13 mission at 248,655 statute miles.
  • At 2:45 p.m., the crew will begin making observations of the surface of the moon during the flyby.
  • At 7:02 p.m., the crew is expected to have reached the mission's maximum distance from Earth at 252,760 statute miles.
  • The flyby is scheduled to conclude at 9:20 p.m. on Monday.
  • The crew is expected to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California on Friday at 8:07 p.m.

The players

Artemis II

NASA's Orion spacecraft that is carrying the crew on a mission to the moon, the first crewed mission of the Artemis program.

Lori Glaze

Leads NASA's Artemis program.

Kelsey Young

Artemis II lunar science lead.

Victor Glover

Mission pilot for Artemis II, who practiced manual control of the Orion spacecraft.

Rick Henfling

Artemis II flight director.

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What they’re saying

“They're going to be absolutely buzzing.”

— Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead

“We understand, you know, what it's made out of. We understand the topography, but we don't know what the crew are going to see in these specific illumination conditions from a scientific perspective. And that's exciting.”

— Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead

“Our mission continues to go incredibly well.”

— Lori Glaze, Leads NASA's Artemis program

“We're continuing to proceed with the mission and the use of the toilet nominally.”

— Rick Henfling, Artemis II flight director

What’s next

The Artemis II crew is expected to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California on Friday at 8:07 p.m. NASA will then analyze the data and observations from the lunar flyby to help inform future Artemis landing missions.

The takeaway

The successful Artemis II lunar flyby marks a major milestone in NASA's ambitious Artemis program, demonstrating the capabilities of the Orion spacecraft and paving the way for future crewed missions to the moon. The scientific observations and systems tests conducted during the flight will provide invaluable data to support the program's goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.