Artemis II Makes History with Deepest Lunar Journey
The Artemis II mission is taking humans farther from Earth than ever before. Its four-person crew will surpass the distance record set by Apollo 13 by over 4,100 miles (6,600 kilometers). This milestone happens as they loop around the Moon, getting closer to its surface than any manned mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Inside the Lunar Flyby Experience
Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen will spend about six hours circling the Moon. They’ll work in shifts, snapping photos through Orion’s windows to capture the Moon’s far side—areas past missions couldn’t see clearly due to darkness or angles. At their nearest point, they’ll be just 4,070 miles (6,550 kilometers) from the lunar surface.
During this flyby, the crew will witness a rare total solar eclipse visible only from space. From their unique spot, they’ll study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, for several minutes. To protect their eyes, they’ve packed special solar glasses. However, when Orion passes behind the Moon, radio contact with Earth will cut off for about 40 minutes as NASA’s Deep Space Network loses signal.
The Journey Home and a Space Station Connection
After the Moon flyby, Artemis II starts a four-day trip back to Earth. The Orion capsule is planned to splash down in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on April 10, nine days after launch from Florida. On the return flight, the crew will make history by chatting with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This is the first time a lunar mission crew has overlapped with colleagues in orbit. Christina Koch and Jessica Meir—both known for a 2019 all-female spacewalk—will lead the conversation.
Remembering Apollo 13’s Close Call
Apollo 13’s 1970 mission didn’t go as planned when an oxygen tank exploded. Crew members Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert had to abandon their Moon landing and use a clever gravity-assisted route to return safely. Their path took them to a peak distance of 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) from Earth—a record that stands until Artemis II’s upcoming flight. Their story highlights the risks of space travel and the ingenuity that brought them home.
