Artemis II Pushes Human Distance Record to 252,756 Miles, Beating Apollo 13 by 4,101
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 18
Artemis II Pushes Human Distance Record to 252,756 Miles, Beating Apollo 13 by 4,101
3 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Jul 18
Summary
NASA said Orion reached 252,756 miles from Earth on April 6, setting the farthest human-travel record as Artemis II looped around the Moon with four astronauts aboard.
The mark topped Apollo 13’s 248,655-mile record, which had stood for 56 years after the 1970 mission was forced into a lunar flyby by an oxygen-tank explosion.
Artemis II’s route was planned as a deep-space test of Orion and its life-support systems ahead of later lunar-landing missions, with the spacecraft passing about 4,067 miles above the Moon at closest approach.
During the flyby, the crew also described lunar terrain in real time and proposed the names Integrity and Carroll for two small craters near the Orientale basin; the IAU must approve any official naming.
The record underscores NASA’s shift from Apollo-era emergency survival to a deliberate return to crewed lunar space under the Artemis program.
With Artemis III now only testing in Earth orbit, can NASA still safely land astronauts on the Moon by 2028?
Artemis II broke Apollo's record, but did its science justify the cost compared to robotic probes?
What health data from the 10-day Artemis II mission will help astronauts survive future year-long journeys to Mars?
Artemis II Sets Human Distance Record: Engineering Triumphs, Global Partnerships, and the Path to the Moon and Mars
Overview
Artemis II marked a pivotal moment in human space exploration by achieving the farthest human spaceflight from Earth. The mission began with a successful launch of the powerful Space Launch System (SLS) from Kennedy Space Center, using four liquid hydrogen–liquid oxygen engines and two solid rocket boosters that detached shortly after liftoff. The four-person crew completed their ambitious journey, pushing the boundaries of deep space travel. This achievement not only demonstrated the capabilities of the SLS and Orion spacecraft but also set the stage for future lunar and Mars missions, inspiring renewed global interest in space exploration.