The Artemis II crew of four astronauts—three Americans and one Canadian—have surpassed the farthest distance from Earth achieved during the Apollo 13 mission.
Record-Breaking Distance
Four astronauts – Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen – have traveled farther from Earth than the crew of Apollo 13 did in April 1970. The Apollo 13 mission was cut short after 56 hours due to an oxygen tank explosion and was ultimately deemed a “successful failure.”
First Views of the Far Side
“What you see with the naked eye from the Moon is just stunning. It’s simply unbelievable,” Hansen communicated via radio, urging “current and future generations to ensure this record doesn’t stand for long.”
A Message from Jim Lovell
NASA noted that the Artemis II crew carries a recording from Jim Lovell, the captain of both Apollo 13 and Apollo 8, who passed away last year at the age of 97. Lovell delivered a message to the crew.
Lunar Orbit and Mission Goals
Artemis II is now within the Moon’s gravitational influence and will pass over its far side, hidden from Earth. The mission, which began on the night of April 1-2 Polish time, will orbit the Moon. This will be the culmination of the nearly 10-day first crewed flight test within NASA’s program.
Future Observations
NASA anticipates releasing images of the Moon from cameras mounted on the Orion spacecraft’s solar panels, along with reports from the astronauts observing the lunar surface. The crew will observe formations never before seen by human eyes from such a perspective.