HOUSTON, TX — On this historic Monday, April 6, 2026, humanity has officially ventured further into the cosmos than ever before. NASA’s Artemis II mission, carrying a crew of four, has successfully surpassed the 56-year-old distance record set by Apollo 13, marking a monumental milestone in the modern era of space exploration.
Surpassing Apollo 13
At approximately 2:10 p.m. ET, the Orion spacecraft, nicknamed Integrity, crossed the 248,655-mile threshold from Earth. The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen—is now traveling in a region of space never before inhabited by humans.
By the time Orion reaches its maximum distance today, it will be roughly 252,760 miles from our home planet, beating the 1970 record by more than 4,100 miles.
The Dark Side of the Moon
The highlight of today’s “Flight Day 6” is the daring lunar flyby. Unlike the Apollo missions that entered lunar orbit, Artemis II is utilizing a free-return trajectory. This “figure-eight” maneuver uses the Moon’s gravity to slingshot the spacecraft back toward Earth without the need for a secondary engine burn.
During this phase, the crew will pass within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface. For several hours, the astronauts will be positioned over the Moon’s far side, providing them with a rare, direct view of the rugged, crater-filled terrain that is never visible from Earth.
Science and “Blue Marble” Views
Despite the high-speed nature of the flyby, the crew isn’t just along for the ride. NASA has outlined 10 primary science objectives for the seven-hour observation period. The astronauts are working in shifts to document 35 different lunar targets, using high-resolution Nikon Z9 cameras to capture the “lunar glow” and surface textures.
Earlier today, Commander Wiseman sent back a stunning “space selfie” and high-definition images of a backlit Earth, which he described as a “thin, glowing arc in the darkness.” These images serve as a poignant reminder of the mission’s dual purpose: to explore the unknown while looking back at our fragile home.
The Journey Home
Once Orion emerges from the Moon’s shadow this evening, the crew will begin their four-day trek back to Earth. If all systems continue to perform as expected, the mission will culminate in a high-speed atmospheric re-entry and a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of San Diego, on Friday, April 10.
This mission is the final bridge to Artemis III, which aims to return “boot prints” to the lunar South Pole by 2028.
This video provides a visual breakdown of the Orion spacecraft’s trajectory and the specific science goals the crew is pursuing during their historic flyby today
