Artemis II Crew Breaks Apollo 13 Record, Reaches 252,757 Miles From Earth

The Artemis II crew of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, has shattered a 56-year-old record by traveling farther from Earth than any humans before, reaching a maximum distance of 252,757 miles and surpassing Apollo 13's 1970 mark of 248,655 miles.^[1] This milestone occurred during a lunar flyby as their Orion spacecraft swung behind the moon's far side, bringing them within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface—the closest approach in over 50 years.^[1] The event unfolded on Monday, marking the mission's fourth or fifth day since liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.^[1]

As the spacecraft entered the moon's gravitational pull, the astronauts caught their first glimpses of the far side with the naked eye, including the massive Orientale basin—a crater difficult to observe fully from Earth.^[1] NASA released a photo captured by the crew the day prior, showing the far side upside down with the South Pole oriented upward and the basin visible along the right edge, highlighting features never before seen in such detail by human eyes.^[1] To commemorate breaking the distance record just before 2 p.m. ET, the crew held a crater-naming ceremony, adding a ceremonial touch to the historic moment.

This test flight represents a critical step in NASA's Artemis program, paving the way for future crewed moon landings and sustained lunar presence.^[1] The four-person team briefly lost communication signal during the flyby, a planned blackout as they passed over the far side, before resuming their journey homeward.^[1] At closest approach around 7 p.m., the moon appeared to them about the size of a basketball held at arm's length, offering unprecedented views of both the near and far sides.^[1]

The achievement underscores advancing capabilities in deep-space travel, with NASA flight directors like Brandon Lloyd and capsule communicators such as Amy Dill overseeing operations from the ground. Breaking the Apollo-era record not only honors the legacy of missions like the ill-fated Apollo 13 but also demonstrates Orion's reliability for longer durations. As the crew heads back to Earth, their data and imagery will inform Artemis III and beyond, potentially enabling new explorations of the lunar south pole and beyond.^[1]

Public fascination with these views has surged, as the far side—often called the "dark side" despite receiving sunlight—remains largely unseen from our planet due to tidal locking.^[1] The mission's success affects millions by reigniting interest in space exploration and international collaboration, particularly with Canada's contribution via Hansen. Next steps include a safe splashdown, followed by detailed analysis to refine technology for landing humans on the moon again.