Artemis 2 lunar mission sets the record for the farthest distance from Earth ever reached by humans

SighingCashier · 2026-04-07T04:17:32+00:00

The four astronauts of the Artemis II mission broke the distance record set by Apollo 13, becoming the humans farthest from Earth at approximately 406,778 kilometers. During the mission, the astronauts will orbit the Moon and observe the lunar surface, with the final plan to return to Earth via the "Free Return Trajectory," taking about four days in total.

SighingCashier

2026-04-07 04:17:32

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Four astronauts on NASA’s Moon-orbit mission “Artemis II” became the farthest humans ever from Earth on Monday, breaking the distance record set by the Apollo 13 mission.

The “Artemis II” team broke the record set by the 1970 Apollo 13 mission. At the farthest point in its journey, it was about 406,778 kilometers from Earth—around 6,606 kilometers more than the previous record.

According to the plan, the Orion spacecraft will circle the far side of the Moon for about 6 hours. During that time, the astronauts will use cameras to photograph the lunar surface, observe the Moon’s terrain, and collect data. During the lunar flyby, the spacecraft will align in a straight line with the Moon and the Sun, allowing the astronauts to observe a solar eclipse phenomenon in which the Sun is obscured by the Moon.

NASA said the mission spacecraft had entered the Moon’s gravitational influence earlier, meaning “Artemis II” has reached the region near the Moon, where the Moon’s gravity has surpassed Earth’s pull. After orbiting the Moon, the Orion spacecraft will turn back toward Earth via a “free-return trajectory,” which is expected to take about 4 days.

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