Artemis II crew breaks Apollo 13 record, reaches 252,755 miles from Earth during historic moon mission
Lunar distance record
The mission, which is part of NASA’s Artemis program, aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.
As they travelled, Hansen proposed naming a crater Integrity after their Orion capsule and another crater after his late wife, Carrol.
If successful, Orion will pass behind the Moon and witness its far side from about 4,000 miles away.
This milestone marks a key moment in the nearly 10-day mission, being the first crewed test flight in over 50 years.
The Artemis missions aim to return humans to the Moon by 2028 and establish a base for potential Mars missions.
Astronauts last walked on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The crew will experience communication blackouts as the Moon obstructs signals with NASA’s Deep Space Network.
During their flyby, they will capture detailed images of the Moon using professional cameras.
The rare perspective will show sunlight filtering around the lunar edges, contributing to scientific research.
A team of lunar scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center will monitor the astronauts’ observations in real-time.
Ongoing lunar exploration
This exploration serves as a pivotal step toward future human ventures beyond our planet.
As the mission progresses, it reinforces the importance of collaboration in space exploration efforts.
