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Artemis II Crew Returns Home After Lunar Milestone
7 Apr
Summary
- Artemis II crew achieved a new distance record from Earth behind the Moon.
- The mission broke Apollo 13's 1970 record for the furthest humans have traveled.
- Astronauts completed a historic lunar flyby, paving the way for future missions.
The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission is currently en route back to Earth, having recently completed a historic journey behind the Moon. During their six-hour lunar flyby, the astronauts achieved a record-breaking distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth, surpassing the previous record set by Apollo 13 in April 1970. This remarkable feat included a 40-minute communication blackout as they passed on the far side of the Moon.
The mission saw the crew reach their closest point to the Moon at 4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers). They also experienced a total solar eclipse from their unique vantage point. The astronauts requested to name two newly observed lunar craters, Integrity and Carroll, honoring their spacecraft and a late loved one, respectively. This mission serves as a crucial step toward future lunar landings, anticipated by NASA around 2028, and eventual crewed missions to Mars.
Utilizing the Moon's gravity for a return journey, the crew anticipates splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, four days after their lunar flyby. This mission echoes the maneuvers of Apollo 13, which famously used a lunar gravity assist for its survival return. NASA aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028, competing with China's own lunar ambitions.
