Artemis II to beat Apollo 13’s 248,655‑mile record
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- Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.
- Artemis II crew is expected to reach a maximum Earth distance about 4,000 mi (6,400 km) farther than Apollo 13’s record of 248,655 mi.
- Artemis II will split its crew into pairs to photograph the Moon’s far side with professional cameras and personal iPhones.
- Artemis II will experience a total solar eclipse while behind the Moon, giving the crew several minutes to view the Sun’s corona.
- Orion capsule will lose radio contact with Mission Control for roughly 40 minutes during the lunar occultation.
- Artemis II aims for a Pacific splashdown near San Diego on April 10, four days after departing the Moon.
- Artemis II will conduct a radio chat with International Space Station astronauts, marking the first simultaneous presence of a lunar crew and the ISS.
Why it matters: The record‑breaking distance validates NASA’s free‑return trajectory and shows Orion can sustain deep‑space operations, giving NASA and its commercial partners confidence to push the Artemis program toward a permanent lunar base, while delivering rare far‑side imagery and solar‑corona data for scientists.
