HOUSTON, TX — In a historic milestone for the Artemis II mission, four astronauts have officially traveled farther from Earth than any human beings in history. On Monday, April 6, 2026, the crew bypassed the deep-space record set by the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970, marking a new era in lunar exploration.
- Breaking the “Apollo Ceiling”
At 12:56 p.m. CDT on Monday, the Orion spacecraft crossed the 248,655-mile mark from Earth.
The New High: Orion continued its trajectory to reach a maximum distance of 252,756 miles, successfully pushing the boundary of human presence in the solar system.
The Predecessor: For over five decades, the record was held by the Apollo 13 crew (Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise), who reached their maximum distance while using a lunar swing-by to return to Earth after an onboard explosion.
- Meet the Record-Breakers
The crew of Artemis II, currently six days into their 10-day mission, consists of a diverse team representing the next generation of spaceflight:
Reid Wiseman (NASA): Commander
Victor Glover (NASA): Pilot (The first person of color to leave Earth’s orbit)
Christina Koch (NASA): Mission Specialist (The first woman to leave Earth’s orbit)
Jeremy Hansen (CSA): Mission Specialist (The first Canadian to travel to the Moon)
- The “Dark Side” Flyby & Solar Eclipse
As the crew reached their farthest point, they performed a critical lunar flyby, bringing them within 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface.
The Far Side: The astronauts became the first humans to directly view the Moon’s far side (the “dark side”) since the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
Celestial Event: During the flyby, the crew witnessed a rare solar eclipse from their unique vantage point, seeing the Moon pass directly in front of the Sun.
Planned Blackout: As predicted, a 40-minute communication blackout occurred when the Moon physically blocked radio signals between Orion and mission control in Houston. Signals were successfully reacquired once the spacecraft emerged from the Moon’s “shadow.”
Artemis II Mission Progress Tracker
| Milestone | Status | Details |
| Launch | SUCCESS | April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center. |
| Lunar Flyby | SUCCESS | Completed April 6; came within 4,067 miles of surface. |
| Distance Record | ACHIEVED | Reached 252,756 miles from Earth. |
| Return Path | IN PROGRESS | Utilizing a “free-return trajectory” (gravity assist). |
| Splashdown | EST. APRIL 11 | Target: Pacific Ocean, off the California coast. |