📡 Mission In Progress
Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft views a solar eclipse from behind the Moon. Photo: NASA | Public Domain
Artemis II Astronauts Reach Farthest Distance from Earth Since 1972
Four astronauts passed behind the Moon, broke Apollo 13’s 54-year distance record, and witnessed a total solar eclipse — now heading home for a Pacific splashdown.
On Monday, April 6, 2026, NASA’s Artemis II mission completed its lunar flyby — the first crewed mission to the Moon’s vicinity since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The four-member crew aboard the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles set in April 1970 by about 4,000 miles.
This is a crewed test flight, not a Moon landing. Its primary purpose is to validate Orion’s life-support, propulsion, thermal, navigation, and crew systems in deep space — gathering data that will inform future lunar missions. For background on what led to this mission, Karmactive has been tracking the Artemis II buildup from the start.
By The Numbers
Artemis II: Mission Data at a Glance
Explore the Mission
What Happened — Select a Phase
Tap each phase to explore what the crew experienced and observed.
Farthest Humans Have Ever Traveled from Earth
NASA’s Orion capsule Integrity reached 252,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth on April 6, 2026, surpassing the Apollo 13 record of 248,655 miles. The record was confirmed by NASA that same day.
Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who passed away on August 7, 2025, at the age of 97, had recorded a tribute message that was transmitted to the crew before the flyby. In the message, he said: “Welcome to my old neighbourhood. It’s a historic day — don’t forget to enjoy the view.”
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen radioed back: “It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the Moon right now. It is just unbelievable.”
A Total Solar Eclipse — From Behind the Moon
As Orion passed through the Moon’s shadow on April 6, the crew observed a total solar eclipse lasting approximately 53 minutes. From their position, the Moon blocked the Sun — giving the astronauts a direct view of the solar corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere. This is a geometrically specific event visible only from the spacecraft’s position, not from Earth’s surface.
The crew also reported seeing Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn in the deep black void during the eclipse. NASA’s Artemis science flight operations lead, Kelsey Young, noted their unique vantage point allowed direct solar corona observations during the event.
New Observations of the Lunar Far Side
Over an approximately six-hour observation window, the crew documented lunar surface targets, including regions of the far side that were too dark or too difficult for the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them to observe in detail. The primary target was Orientale Basin, a large impact site with three concentric rings stretching nearly 600 miles (950 km) across.
Mission Specialist Christina Koch described an emotional moment while zooming in on the lunar landscape: “Something just drew me in suddenly to the lunar landscape and it became real.”
The crew suggested naming two newly identified craters during the flyby. The first, Integrity, is named after their Orion spacecraft. The second, Carroll, honours Commander Wiseman’s late wife, who died of cancer in 2020. NASA confirmed these proposed names will be formally submitted to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) after the mission is complete.
A Communications Blackout as Orion Passed Behind the Moon
As Orion entered the Moon’s far side, radio contact with Mission Control was severed for approximately 40 minutes — a blackout typical of lunar far-side passes. During this window, the crew reached both their maximum distance from Earth and their closest approach to the Moon, at about 4,067 miles above the lunar surface.
When the spacecraft re-emerged, Christina Koch radioed: “It is so great to hear from Earth again.” Earthrise — showing Asia, Africa, and Oceania rising above the lunar horizon — came into view. Mission Control responded: “We are Earthbound and ready to bring you home.” Flight controllers in Houston flipped their mission patches over to the return-leg side.
Crew Systems Testing in Deep Space
Shortly after launch, Commander Reid Wiseman and Pilot Victor Glover manually flew Orion through a series of controlled approach and retreat manoeuvres using the detached ICPS (Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage) as a reference target. The proximity operations demonstration, completed over approximately 70 minutes, tested Orion’s handling qualities using its onboard navigation sensors and reaction control thrusters. Both astronauts praised the vehicle’s handling before returning to autopilot.
Early in the mission, Mission Specialist Christina Koch also worked with Mission Control to troubleshoot a fault in the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) — the spacecraft’s toilet. A fan controller issue was identified and successfully resolved by Koch working with ground teams to restore the system to full operation.
The Crew
Four Astronauts. One Historic Journey.
Under the Hood
Mission Details Worth Knowing
Direct from the Crew
Words Spoken from 252,756 Miles Away
It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the Moon right now. It is just unbelievable.
It is so great to hear from Earth again.
Such a majestic view out here.
Earth is an oasis amid a whole bunch of nothing… We are the same thing and we’ve got to get through this together.
We will explore. We will build. We will inspire — but ultimately, we will always choose Earth.
Welcome to my old neighbourhood. It’s a historic day — don’t forget to enjoy the view.
Mission Timeline
From Launch to Splashdown
What Comes Next
The Road Back to the Moon
As of April 7, 2026, the Artemis II mission is on Day 7 of its 10-day flight. NASA reports all mission objectives are progressing as planned. The Canadian Space Agency has noted Jeremy Hansen’s role as the first Canadian astronaut to travel to the Moon and the significance of Canada’s contribution to the mission.
Mission activities covered include the proximity operations demonstration, UWMS troubleshooting, the lunar flyby, the communications blackout, crater naming proposals for IAU review, and the solar eclipse observation. The official NASA Artemis II Flight Day 6 blog documents the flyby milestones. Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2026.
