‘Milestone for humankind’: NASA crowns human achievement with new record amongst the stars

The four Artemis II mission astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft made stellar history at approximately 1:56 p.m. EDT Monday, setting a new record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any human.

With four RS-25 engines and two solid rocket boosters at their backs generating 8.8 million pounds of thrust, three Americans from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) — as well as one from the Canadian Space Agency — fixed their gazes towards the heavens Wednesday evening to help advance U.S. ambitions for a permanent lunar colony and an eventual manned mission to Mars.

The 10-day mission launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Fla., carrying commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. It also bore the well wishes, hopes, and ambitions of the many across the world, ranging from children to die-hard fans of space exploration.

A new milestone for humankind: The crew of Artemis II are now the farthest any human has ever travelled, reaching a maximum distance of 252,752 miles from Earth.

This surpasses the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by about 4,102 miles. pic.twitter.com/DbLFvvdEfT

— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026

The achievement of human endeavor occurred on Flight Day Six, when the spacecraft hurtling through space at over 1,000 miles per hour (at the time of writing) will exceed the record 248,655-mile distance from Earth set by the three astronauts of the April 1970 Apollo 13 mission.

The explosion of an oxygen tank disabled the Apollo 13 spacecraft’s electrical and life-support systems two days into what would have been NASA’s third moon landing mission, forcing an early — and ultimately successful — return to Earth.

“Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell,” a special message to the Orion crew began, recorded before the Apollo 8 and 13 veteran passed away in August 2025. “Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the Moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up-close look at the Moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you — as you swing around the Moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars … for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be. But don’t forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you — good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.”

“On the Moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we and America and all of the world are cheering you on,” Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke said in another message for the Artemis II crew. Duke, at the age of 36, became the 10th and youngest person to walk the lunar surface on April 20, 1972.

“On the Moon is a photo of my family. I pray it reminds you that we and America and all of the world are cheering you on.”

Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke recorded a message for the Artemis II crew. Fitting that they hear his words as they close in on their lunar destination. pic.twitter.com/FIWzOeC8nM

— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026

The astronauts offered remarks after breaking the Apollo 13 distance record.

“As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration,” Canadian Space Agency’s Hansen said. “We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear, but we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

“I wish you were up here to see all the smiling faces to hear all these terminologies being thrown around, and we are just fired up to get started on this day,” Wiseman said to the lead for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Kelsey Young, expressing appreciation for the training and support that made the day’s achievement possible.

“I just want to channel everything that you guys are probably feeling right now through my eyes and heart. It is awesome to see this side of the Moon,” Koch added. “You guys made us excited for this day, and we couldn’t appreciate it any more, and we are ready to hopefully deliver on all the awesome training you guys have provided.”

An esprcially moving moment occurred when a suggestion was announced to rename certain features of the Moon, including after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, an ICU nurse who tragically died in 2020 from cancer. The four astronauts then hugged, and a moment of silence was observed by NASA Mission Control in Houston.

To commemorate the Artemis II mission, the astronauts announced their suggestion to rename certain features on the Moon to honor the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, as well as commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll. pic.twitter.com/ejfhnItDo8

— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026

“Integrity and Carroll Crater, loud and clear. Thank you,” the designated NASA Capsule Communicator responded.

A seven-hour lunar flyby is scheduled to begin at about 2:45 p.m. EDT, during which the Orion spacecraft will be close enough to the Moon for the crew to record detailed observations of the lunar surface’s geologic features. A planned 40-minute communications blackout is expected to start at approximately 6:44 p.m. EDT, when the Moon blocks radio signals between the spacecraft and Earth. Meanwhile, Orion is expected to make its closest approach, or periapsis, at 4,070 miles, and set a new record distance of 252,760 miles from Earth just after 7:00 p.m. EDT. A 53-minute solar eclipse will conclude the day’s observation period, when the spacecraft aligns with the Moon and the Sun.

The Artemis II crew is expected to land in the Pacific Ocean in the afternoon of April 10, 2026, concluding its 685,000-mile voyage, while setting the stage for a U.S. return to the Moon in 2028.

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