Artemis II Completes Historic Moon Far-Side Flyby

NASA's Artemis II mission made history on April 6, 2026, as four astronauts ventured farther from Earth than any humans before, completing a seven-hour flyby of the Moon's far side while capturing unprecedented images and observations. The crew, aboard the Orion spacecraft, reached a maximum distance of approximately 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles set in 1970. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen conducted the flyby, coming within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface.

The mission marked the first crewed voyage to the Moon's vicinity since Apollo 17 in 1972, following a launch delayed two months due to hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines. Six days into the flight, the astronauts awoke to a prerecorded message from the late Apollo 8 and 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, who died in 2024 at age 97. "Welcome to my old neighborhood," Lovell said. "It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view... good luck and Godspeed."

During the flyby, the crew experienced a 40-minute communications blackout as Orion passed...