Four astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission have successfully circled the moon, setting a new record for the greatest distance humans have traveled from Earth during a historic deep-space flight.
The crew completed a lunar flyby in NASA’s Orion spacecraft, spending nearly seven hours observing the moon’s far side and capturing detailed images of regions never before viewed directly by astronauts.
At their closest approach, the spacecraft passed approximately 4,067 miles above the moon’s surface. During the mission, the astronauts also flew more than 252,000 miles away from Earth, surpassing the distance record previously held by the Apollo 13 mission.
The Artemis II crew lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday and spent roughly 25 hours orbiting Earth before beginning their journey toward the moon. Orion departed Earth’s orbit on Thursday evening and entered the lunar sphere of influence early Monday, when the moon’s gravitational pull became stronger than Earth’s.
While orbiting the moon, the astronauts were able to observe parts of the lunar far side that cannot be seen from Earth. Even astronauts from the Apollo era were unable to view these areas in the same way due to the flight paths and timing of earlier missions.
NASA officials said the crew used the time to photograph the lunar surface and document key features that could assist with future missions under the Artemis program.
The astronauts also shared moments from their journey during a communication session with NASA officials. One crew member revealed that the team celebrated the milestone with maple cream cookies during a brief communications blackout while passing behind the moon.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman later thanked the crew during a live conversation, praising their work and the inspiration the mission has generated around the world.
“On behalf of NASA and space-loving people across the world, thank you for taking us with you to the moon,” Isaacman said. “We are proud of you and look forward to welcoming you safely back to Earth.”
The astronauts also discussed lessons learned during the mission that could help prepare the crew of Artemis III, which is scheduled to launch next year and aims to land humans on the lunar surface.
Among the challenges noted were issues with packing supplies and minor technical problems with the spacecraft’s onboard toilet system.
The Artemis II mission is expected to conclude on Friday evening when the Orion spacecraft returns to Earth with a planned splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
