NASA Artemis II Crew Reaches Record Distance From Earth

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission established a new milestone in human exploration on Monday, April 6, 2026, by traveling farther from Earth than any humans in history.

At 12:56 p.m. CDT on April 6, 2026, the Orion spacecraft surpassed the previous distance record of 248,655 miles, which had been held by the Apollo 13 mission since 1970.

The mission, which was six days into its flight at the time of the record, involves a crew of four: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

Distance and Trajectory Milestones

The Orion spacecraft, which the crew has named Integrity, continued its voyage away from Earth to reach a maximum distance of approximately 252,756 miles before beginning its loop back toward the planet.

As part of the lunar flyby, NASA updated the spacecraft’s final closest approach to the lunar surface, adjusting the figure from 4,070 miles to approximately 4,067 miles.

From the cabin of Integrity here, 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. We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear

Jeremy Hansen, CSA Astronaut

Hansen noted that the moment served as a challenge to current and future generations to ensure the record does not remain unbeaten for long.

Mission Objectives and Leadership

The Artemis II test flight is designed to chart new frontiers and collect imagery of the Moon during its transit. The mission’s achievement of this deep space record is considered one of its most critical goals.

At NASA, we dare to reach higher, explore farther, and achieve the impossible. That’s embodied perfectly by our Artemis II astronauts – Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy. They are charting new frontiers for all humanity

Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters

The successful traversal to the far side of the Moon represents a significant leap in the Artemis program’s effort to return humans to the lunar vicinity and beyond.