US EditionArtemis II astronauts break Apollo 13 record for traveling farthest from Earth
NASA says the four astronauts surpassed Apollo 13’s record by about 4,100 miles as they flew around the moon on a test mission.
- On Monday, April 06, 2026, NASA's Artemis II astronauts Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen became the farthest humans from Earth, breaking Apollo 13's 56-year distance record.
- Utilizing a figure-eight free-return trajectory, the mission leverages Earth and lunar gravity to navigate the Moon's far side, mirroring the emergency path taken by Apollo 13 during their 1970 crisis.
- Reaching roughly 252,760 miles from Earth, the crew surpassed the previous 248,655-mile mark and will conduct seven hours of lunar observation while passing within 4,070 miles of the Moon's surface.
- Crew members awoke to a recorded message from late Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who said, "Welcome to my old neighborhood." The team is performing real-time data analysis to inform future Moon exploration.
- This milestone validates Orion systems for the 2028 Artemis III landing as the test flight concludes Friday, April 10, with a planned Pacific splashdown near San Diego.
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349 Articles
Artemis II begins journey home after reaching record distance from Earth
The four astronauts on the first manned Moon mission in more than 50 years reached 252,756 miles from Earth during a lunar flyby. The crew of Nasa’s Artemis II mission have started the journey home after creating history on their pass behind the Moon, The four astronauts on the first manned Moon mission in more than 50 years reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometres) from Earth. The record was achieved during a six-hour lunar flyby which include…
Artemis II reaches record-setting distance from Earth in moon mission
No human being has ever traveled farther from the planet we call home than the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission. The Orion spacecraft reached its farthest point from Earth — 252,760 miles — at approximately 7:07 p.m. Eastern on Monday. The crew broke humanity’s previous distance record of 248,655 miles, set by crewmembers of Apollo 13 in 1970, earlier Monday afternoon. Communication with the spacecraft went quiet shortly before the ca…
Astronauts set distance record with trip to back side of the moon - Los Angeles Wave Newspaper Group
Wave Wire Services LOS ANGELES — NASA’s Artemis II mission, piloted by a Southern California native, reached a historic milestone April 6 as astronauts flying around the far side of the moon traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history. The mission surpassed the previous distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 at 248,655 miles during its lunar flyby, according to NASA. The astronauts were expected to take photos and make observations …
Artemis makes lunar flyby as moon mission breaks record for human distance from earth
The Artemis II crew, flying in their Orion capsule since launching from Florida last week, awoke around 10:50 a.m. for their sixth flight day to a recorded message from late astronaut Jim Lovell.
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