Artemis II Astronauts Break Records with Lunar Flyby

Crew observes far side of the moon and surpasses Apollo 13's distance record

Apr. 7, 2026 at 3:29am

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A bold, abstract painting in soft shades of blue, purple, and gold depicting the Artemis II spacecraft's intricate orbital path around the moon, conveying the scale and precision of this landmark space mission.The Artemis II spacecraft's historic lunar flyby pushes the boundaries of human space exploration, capturing the imagination of a new generation of astronauts and space enthusiasts.Houston Today

The Artemis II astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft made history on Monday, traveling farther from Earth than any humans have ever flown before. The crew surpassed the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, reaching a distance of 252,706 miles from Earth during their lunar flyby. During the flyby, the astronauts photographed and described the lunar surface, including areas of the far side of the moon never seen by the naked eye.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a crucial step in NASA's ambitious plan to return humans to the moon, establish a lunar outpost, and eventually prepare for trips to Mars. The data and insights gathered during this crewed lunar flyby will help inform future moon missions and advance American leadership in space exploration.

The details

The Artemis II mission began on April 1 and is a 10-day journey. During the flyby, the astronauts experienced 'Earthset,' where the Earth disappears behind the moon from their perspective, reached their closest distance to the moon at 4,070 miles above its surface, and witnessed 'Earthrise' and a solar eclipse. The crew also named two craters on the lunar surface, one after their spacecraft 'Integrity' and the other after the deceased wife of crew member and commander Reid Wiseman.

  • On April 15, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission set the previous record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth at 248,655 statute miles.
  • Just before 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday, April 7, 2026, the Artemis II astronauts surpassed the Apollo 13 record.
  • The Artemis II crew formally began their lunar observations around 2:45 p.m. and concluded around 9:20 p.m. on April 7.

The players

Artemis II Crew

The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis II mission, including commander Reid Wiseman.

NASA Mission Control

The communications team at NASA's Mission Control in Houston that narrated the historic milestone for the Artemis II crew.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian Space Agency astronaut and crew member on the Artemis II mission.

Apollo 13 Crew

The three astronauts - Lovell, Swigert and Haise - who set the previous record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth during the 1970 Apollo 13 mission.

President Donald Trump

The U.S. president who initiated the goal of returning Americans to the moon by the end of his term and establishing a lunar outpost by 2030.

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What they’re saying

“We choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

— Artemis II Astronaut

“Especially meaningful for this crew is a number of years ago, we started this journey in our close knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one.”

— Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut

What’s next

The Artemis II mission is scheduled to conclude its 10-day journey on April 11, 2026. NASA will analyze the data and insights gathered during the lunar flyby to inform future moon missions as part of the agency's broader Artemis program.

The takeaway

The historic Artemis II mission represents a major milestone in NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the moon, establish a permanent lunar presence, and eventually prepare for crewed missions to Mars. The crew's record-breaking journey and observations of the lunar surface will provide invaluable data to guide the next phase of America's space exploration efforts.