CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — History has been made in deep space as the Artemis II crew pushed farther from Earth than any humans before them. Just before 2 p.m., astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, traveling beyond 248,655 miles from Earth.
Mission Control marked the milestone, noting the crew had gone beyond the boundary reached by Apollo-era astronauts more than 55 years ago. From space, the crew reflected on the moment, honoring those earlier explorers while looking ahead to future missions.
Commander Reid Wiseman challenged the next generation to keep pushing limits, saying the team hopes this new record won’t stand for long.
The crew also used their time in lunar orbit to name two previously unnamed craters. One, “Integrity,” honors their spacecraft.
The other, “Carroll,” is a personal tribute from the crew to honor the late wife of Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman, who described the area as a bright spot on the Moon near the Glushko crater.
As the mission continues, astronauts are carrying out NASA’s lunar targeting plan—photographing and tracking key landmarks tied to ten science objectives, including views of the historic Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites.
The crew could splash down off the coast of San Diego, California, as soon as Friday.
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