Artemis II Lunar Flyby: Record-Breaking Milestones and Rare Moon Views

NASA’s Artemis II mission has completed a record-breaking lunar flyby, sending four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans in history. The crew, aboard the Orion spacecraft named Integrity, reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth on April 6, 2026.

This milestone surpasses the previous distance record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 by 4,111 miles. The mission marks the first time astronauts have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Lunar Flyby and Technical Milestones

The spacecraft reached its closest approach to the moon at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET on April 6, 2026, passing about 4,067 miles above the lunar surface. At this point, Orion was traveling at 60,863 miles per hour relative to Earth and 3,139 miles per hour relative to the moon.

During the flyby, the crew experienced a planned loss of signal for approximately 40 to 45 minutes as the spacecraft traveled around the far side of the moon. Communications were restored at 7:24 p.m. ET, just as the crew witnessed an Earthrise while emerging from behind the lunar body.

The mission included several scientific and observational objectives:

• Observation of the lunar far side with the naked eye.
• Study of the solar corona during a total solar eclipse caused by the alignment of Orion, the moon, and the sun.
• Monitoring for light flashes from meteoroids striking the lunar surface to identify potential hazards.

Crew and Mission Objectives

The Orion capsule was crewed by NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen. Commander Reid Wiseman and the crew spoke with President Trump on the night of April 6, 2026.

During the conversation, Wiseman expressed excitement about the prospect of the nation becoming a two-planet species, referencing long-term NASA plans to eventually reach Mars. Christina Koch highlighted the significance of the mission’s leadership in deep space exploration after regaining contact with Earth.

It really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to lead and not follow in exploring deep space

Christina Koch

Return Trajectory

Following the completion of the lunar observation period, the spacecraft began its return trip to Earth. Orion is scheduled to exit the lunar sphere of influence on April 7, 2026, at approximately 1:25 p.m. ET, at a distance of 41,072 miles from the moon.

The mission is expected to conclude with a splashdown off the coast of California near San Diego shortly after 8 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 11, 2026.