NASA's Artemis II mission has achieved a monumental milestone in human space exploration, breaking a distance record that stood for over half a century. On Monday, April 6th, 2026, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen traveled farther from Earth than any humans before them, surpassing the mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
During their 10-day journey around the Moon, the crew reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth—approximately 4,000 miles beyond Apollo 13's record of 248,655 miles. The historic moment occurred as the Orion spacecraft passed behind the Moon, resulting in a planned communications blackout before contact was reestablished.
NASA Flight Director Brandon Lloyd, Capsule Communicator Amy Dill, and Command and Handling Data Officer Brandon Borter also marked a lighthearted milestone today by emailing the crew what is now assumed to be the longest person-to-person message ever sent in human history.
The mission represents a significant step toward NASA's goal of establishing a sustainable presence near the Moon. While humans haven't walked on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972, Artemis II is testing hardware and systems that will support future Moon landings, including the planned Artemis IV mission in 2028.
During their lunar flyby, the crew conducted unprecedented observations of the Moon's surface, including capturing the first complete image of the Orientale basin from orbit. They also participated in a crater naming ceremony, honoring both their spacecraft and a personal connection.
"A number of years ago, we started this journey and our close-knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one," mission specialist Jeremy Hansen said during NASA's livestream. "Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie."
NASA's coverage of the mission attracted global attention, with livestreams available on multiple platforms. The Artemis program, named for the Greek goddess and twin sister of Apollo, aims to send the first woman to the Moon while creating infrastructure for long-term lunar exploration.