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Artemis II crew sets new record for farthest human journey from earth (Internet)
New Delhi: Astronauts aboard Artemis II have set a new record for the farthest distance travelled by humans from Earth, marking a major milestone in deep space exploration and the first crewed lunar mission in over five decades.
The four-member crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - crossed the historic threshold six days into their mission. They travelled 248,655 miles from Earth and eventually reached a maximum distance of about 252,756 miles.
This achievement surpasses the previous record set during the Apollo 13 in 1970, establishing a new benchmark in human spaceflight.
“At NASA, we dare to reach higher, explore farther, and achieve the impossible,” said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development. She noted that the mission represents not just a record-breaking feat but a step toward a long-term human presence on the Moon.
The 10-day mission is designed to test the capabilities of the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft in deep space with astronauts onboard. The mission includes a lunar flyby before returning to Earth.
Speaking from orbit, Hansen said the crew’s journey honors the achievements of earlier space explorers while inspiring future generations to push beyond current limits.
During the lunar flyby, astronauts captured high-resolution images of the Moon and studied its surface features, including craters and geological formations. They also witnessed a solar eclipse as the Moon passed in front of the Sun and experienced a planned communications blackout of about 40 minutes while the spacecraft moved behind the Moon.
At its closest approach, the spacecraft came within roughly 4,067 miles of the lunar surface, offering rare views of regions not previously seen directly by humans.
The mission has also generated valuable scientific data through imagery, telemetry, and direct human observation, which will support future missions under the Artemis programme.
The crew is scheduled to splash down off the coast of San Diego on April 10, where recovery teams will retrieve them for post-flight evaluations.
Artemis II is the first crewed mission under Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence there. The programme is also considered a key step toward future human missions to Mars.
The last time astronauts ventured beyond low Earth orbit was during the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. By surpassing that milestone, Artemis II signals a renewed era of human deep space exploration.
