Artemis II Astronauts Fly Around Moon—and Farther Than Any Human

Crew begins a seven-hour lunar observation as NASA returns to the moon’s neighborhood for the first time in decades.

Jack Daleo

Monday, April 06, 2026 at 02:21 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The Artemis II astronauts captured this fully illuminated view of the moon’s near side as they approached lunar orbit on Monday. [Credit: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

The Artemis II crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, has set a new record for the farthest human travel from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 distance.
Currently in lunar orbit, the astronauts are conducting observations and photographing the moon's surface, including parts of the farside, and studying specific geological features.
This 10-day mission is a critical test flight for future crewed lunar landings, involving manual piloting demonstrations, equipment testing, and health monitoring.
The mission will conclude with a return to Earth via a free-return trajectory, with data collected crucial for more ambitious future Artemis missions, including building a permanent moon base.

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Three Americans and one Canadian on Monday traveled farther from Earth than any human has ever ventured.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen—the crew of the Artemis II mission—have entered lunar orbit and are now the only people to have traveled more than 248,655 miles from Earth, a mark set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.