NASA’s Artemis II astronauts have broken the record for farthest human spaceflight .The crew reached 248,655 miles from Earth, exceeding Apollo 13’s 1970 mark. Orion’s farthest point will be about 252,756 miles.
Aboard are NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA’s Jeremy Hansen. “We dare to reach higher,” said Dr. Lori Glaze. “They are charting new frontiers.”
Launched April 1 from Kennedy Space Center, Orion performed burns to break Earth orbit. Hansen remarked: “We honor our predecessors… and challenge the next generation to make sure this record is not long-lived.”
The crew proposed naming two Moon craters—Integrity (after their spacecraft) and Carroll (for Wiseman’s late wife). The IAU will review proposals post-mission.
During lunar flyby, they’ll come within 4,067 miles of the surface, seeing parts of the far side for the first time. They’ll also view a solar eclipse. A 40-minute communications blackout is planned as the Moon blocks signals.
Cameras and astronaut photography will capture unprecedented lunar imagery. The four pairs of human eyes offer unique scientific observation.
Splashdown is scheduled for Friday, April 10, at 8:07 p.m. EDT off San Diego. Recovery teams will use helicopters to bring crew to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks, then fly them to NASA Johnson. Artemis II supports NASA’s goal of a Moon Base and future Mars missions.
