Artemis II Astronauts to Shatter Apollo 13's Lunar Distance Record on April 6 Flyby

NASA's Artemis II crew is poised to set a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth during a lunar flyby scheduled for April 6. The four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—will exceed the previous mark set by Apollo 13 by approximately 3,400 miles (5,400 kilometers). Apollo 13's record of 248,655 miles (400,171 km) from Earth was established in 1970 during a critical free-return trajectory around the Moon following a spacecraft emergency. Artemis II, the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program, will send the Orion spacecraft on a ten-day journey that includes a close lunar approach and a distant retrograde orbit. This trajectory is designed to test deep space navigation, communication systems, and life support capabilities ahead of future Artemis landings. The mission represents a pivotal step in establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and serves as a direct precursor to the Artemis III lunar landing attempt. By venturing hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth, the Artemis II crew will not only break a 54-year-old record but also pave the way for more ambitious deep space exploration.