Artemis ii astronauts break 46-year lunar distance record

Astronauts on the Artemis II mission have set a new record for the farthest distance from Earth, traveling 252,760 miles beyond the moon's orbit in a historic six-hour flyby.

Apollo 13 milestone surpassed

The crew aboard the Orion spacecraft reached a maximum distance of 406,778 kilometers, surpassing the 46-year-old record held by Apollo 13.

During the mission's pivotal moment, astronauts Jeremy Hansen and Reid Wiseman proposed two new lunar craters be named in honor of the Orion and their crewmates – Integrity and Carroll, respectively. Wiseman teared up as he made the request, dedicating the Carroll crater to his late wife, Jeni.

'We will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other,' Christina Koch said as the crew re-established communication with Houston after a 40-minute blackout period.

The astronauts spent over six hours documenting the lunar surface, capturing unprecedented views and snapping thousands of high-resolution photos, including the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites.

'Welcome to my old neighbourhood,' the voice of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell echoed in a pre-recorded wake-up message played for the Artemis II crew, who carried a silk patch from Apollo 8 with them on the mission.

With their record-breaking distance reached, the Artemis II crew embarks on the next phase of their lunar journey, paving the way for future manned missions to the moon and beyond.