Artemis II crew reaches record distance from Earth

On the sixth day of their mission, the four astronauts of the Artemis II flight—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—reached the moon's gravitational sphere of influence. Traveling in the Orion capsule, they set a human record by reaching a distance of approximately 252,757 to 252,760 miles from Earth. This distance is roughly 4,100 miles beyond the long-standing record set by the Apollo 13 crew 56 years ago. The crew is scheduled to pass approximately 4,000 miles above the moon's far side, during which they will experience temporary communication blackouts as the moon obscures the Deep Space Network. The Artemis II mission is a nearly 10-day test flight for NASA's broader program. The initiative aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028 and establish a base for future missions to Mars. The flight signifies a strategic effort to maintain U.S. presence on the moon amid international competition.