Artemis II Astronauts Break Apollo 13 Spaceflight Record, View Solar Eclipse

The Artemis II crew traveled over 252,000 miles from Earth during a lunar flyby.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:09pm

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A highly structured abstract painting in soft, flat colors depicting the Artemis II spacecraft's lunar flyby, with sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise orbital spirals conveying the mission's record-breaking distance and rare solar eclipse observation.The Artemis II spacecraft's record-breaking journey around the moon, captured in a bold, abstract visualization of the mission's historic achievements.San Diego Today

The Artemis II astronauts broke NASA's Apollo 13 record for farthest human spaceflight, traveling 252,756 miles from Earth during a seven-hour lunar flyby. The crew experienced a 40-minute communications blackout while traveling around the far side of the moon, and also witnessed a unique solar eclipse created by the alignment of the sun, moon, and spacecraft.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in human space exploration, surpassing the previous record set by Apollo 13 and paving the way for future deep space missions. The mission's achievements, including the record-breaking distance and the rare solar eclipse observation, showcase the continued advancement of space technology and the human capacity for exploration.

The details

During the lunar flyby, the Artemis II crew - consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen - traveled to an unprecedented distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, breaking the previous record set by the Apollo 13 mission. The spacecraft, named Integrity, made its closest approach to the lunar surface at an altitude of 4,067 miles. The crew also experienced a 40-minute communications blackout as the spacecraft passed behind the moon, before re-establishing contact and witnessing an 'Earthrise' as the spacecraft emerged from the lunar shadow.

  • At 1:56 p.m. on Flight Day 6, the Artemis II crew broke the Apollo 13 distance record.
  • At 7:00 p.m., the Orion spacecraft made its closest approach to the moon at an altitude of 4,067 miles.
  • At 7:02 p.m., the Artemis II crew reached the mission's maximum distance from Earth at 252,756 miles.
  • At 7:24 p.m., the astronauts witnessed an 'Earthrise' as the Orion spacecraft emerged from behind the moon.
  • The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego, California, on Friday, April 10 at around 8:07 p.m. EST.

The players

Reid Wiseman

A NASA astronaut and the commander of the Artemis II mission.

Victor Glover

A NASA astronaut and the pilot of the Artemis II mission.

Christina Koch

A NASA astronaut and a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian Space Agency astronaut and a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission.

Carroll Taylor Wiseman

The late wife of astronaut Reid Wiseman, who the crew provisionally named a moon crater in her honor.

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What they’re saying

“From the cabin of Integrity here, as we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist

“We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Mission Specialist

What’s next

Following splashdown, recovery teams will retrieve the crew members using helicopters and deliver them to the USS John P. Murtha. Once aboard, the astronauts will undergo post-flight medical evaluations in the ship's medical bay before traveling back to shore to meet with an aircraft bound for NASA Johnson (Space Center).

The takeaway

The Artemis II mission's record-breaking achievements and rare solar eclipse observation demonstrate the continued progress of human space exploration, inspiring the next generation of space pioneers and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in deep space travel.