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Artemis II Skims the Moon, Sets New Human Distance Mark

The test flight is proving Orion systems for a planned return to the lunar surface.

Overview

  • The four-person crew completed a seven-hour pass around the Moon’s far side before turning Orion back toward Earth.
  • NASA said the spacecraft surpassed Apollo 13’s 400,171-kilometer record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.
  • The astronauts captured the first full human view of Mare Orientale, a large multi‑ring impact basin on the Moon’s far side.
  • Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen are documenting lunar terrain and testing Orion’s orange life-support suits.
  • The 10-day mission does not include a landing and marks the first crewed trip to the Moon’s vicinity since 1972 to prepare for future landings.