Astronauts aboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) crewed lunar mission Artemis II set a new milestone in human space exploration by breaking the nearly 50-year record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
According to NASA, Artemis II reached a point 252,756 miles (about 406,771 kilometers) from Earth while flying behind the moon. That surpasses the previous record of 248,655 miles (about 400,171 kilometers) set by Apollo 13 in Apr. 1970. With this new mark, the Artemis II crew members became the humans who have traveled farthest from Earth in history.
Director General Gerard Isaacman of NASA said on X (formerly Twitter) that Artemis II had reached the farthest point, and noted the flight would be remembered as a moment that showed the United States can once again succeed in a challenge that is close to impossible.
Artemis II was launched on the 1st (U.S. Eastern time) and has smoothly carried out its primary tasks, passing the previous farthest-distance mark at 1:56 p.m. That was followed by a temporary loss of communications with the Earth control team as it entered the far side of the moon, but the link was restored normally about 40 minutes later, as scheduled.
While communications were out, the crew directly witnessed "Earthrise," the spectacular view of Earth rising over the moon. They also observed flashes caused by meteoroid impacts on the lunar surface. Then, from a point about 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) above the surface, they scanned craters and basins with the naked eye and secured photo and video materials.
In particular, the fact that the terrain on the far side of the moon was confirmed directly by human eyes rather than unmanned equipment for the first time carries great significance. The crew named one crater located northwest of the Orientale basin "Integrity," the nickname of their spacecraft, and gave another crater the moniker "Carol," after the late wife of Commander Reed Wiseman. The names will be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at a later date.
Artemis II has completed its lunar flight and begun procedures to return to Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on the 10th.