Four astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II test flight have achieved the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans. The Orion spacecraft reached a milestone at 1:56 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 6, clocking a distance of 248,655 miles from our planet, surpassing the record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.
Artemis II is not a landing mission but a crucial test to confirm the capsule’s capability to ensure crew safety and health during extended missions beyond low Earth orbit. This mission serves as a significant step towards the eventual return of humans to the moon’s surface.
The astronauts captured stunning photos during the record-breaking Artemis II space flight, showcasing breathtaking views of the cosmos. One photograph taken on April 7, 2026, after completing a lunar flyby, reveals the majestic Milky Way stretching across the vast expanse of space, free from Earth’s atmospheric interference.
Another striking image from April 6, 2026, at 6:41 p.m. EDT shows Earth disappearing behind the moon, displaying the planet with its soft blue hues and bright white clouds, with part of the Earth experiencing night while the sunlit side reveals weather patterns over Australia and the Pacific region.
During their observation period on the sixth day of the mission, the crew took a photo along the terminator, highlighting the moon’s rough and uneven terrain with distinct features like craters Jule, Birkhoff, and Stebbins standing out against the lunar highlands.
As the crew rounded the far side of the moon on April 6, 2026, they captured Earth setting just above the lunar horizon, with half of the planet in darkness and the sunlit half showing swirling clouds over Australia and the Pacific region. The Orientale basin and Hertzsprung Basin, along with chains of smaller craters, are visible on the moon’s surface.
During a lunar flyby, the crew witnessed a total eclipse where the moon blocked out the sun for nearly 54 minutes, providing a unique perspective of the sun’s corona and faint stars in the background. The crew also had the opportunity to observe Vavilov Crater in detail, showcasing the varying terrain and debris field surrounding the crater.
Commander Reid Wiseman captured a mesmerizing view of Earth through Orion’s window, displaying two auroras and a cone of zodiacal light after the spacecraft set its course for the moon. The crew also paused for a group photograph inside the Orion spacecraft as they journeyed back towards Earth, expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.