NASA’s Artemis II mission made history today, as its four-person crew traveled farther from Earth than any humans ever have, surpassing the long-standing record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
At its peak, the Orion spacecraft reached roughly 252,000+ miles from Earth during a lunar flyby, pushing thousands of miles beyond the Moon itself and marking a major milestone in human space exploration.
Along the way, astronauts observed the Moon’s far side, captured new imagery and experienced the profound isolation of deep space, something no human crew has felt in over half a century.
This record-breaking moment is more than symbolic, it’s a critical step in NASA’s broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually pave the way for missions to Mars.
As the crew continues their journey home, you can follow along in real time and witness history unfolding by tuning into NASA’s official live stream here: https://www.nasa.gov/live
Check it out below!