Artemis II mission breaks human spaceflight distance record during lunar flyby
Consensus Summary
The Artemis II mission marked a historic milestone in human spaceflight as the first crewed lunar flyby since 1972, with the four astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—breaking the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. On April 21, 2024, the crew surpassed the 400,171 km mark, reaching a maximum distance of approximately 406,771 km from Earth during a six-hour lunar flyby. The mission included groundbreaking observations of the Moon’s far side, capturing never-before-seen views of the Orientale Basin and other lunar features, while also recreating iconic images like Earthrise. The crew proposed naming two lunar craters, ‘Integrity’ and ‘Carroll,’ and experienced a 40-minute communication blackout behind the Moon. The mission tested the Orion spacecraft’s systems and prepared for future lunar landings, with splashdown scheduled for April 10 or 11, 2024, near San Diego. The Artemis II crew also included the first woman, first person of color, and first non-American to travel beyond low Earth orbit, symbolizing a new era in space exploration. The mission’s success builds on NASA’s Artemis program, aiming to establish a sustainable lunar presence and eventually support missions to Mars.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Artemis II astronauts surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record of 400,171 km (248,655 miles) on April 2024, reaching a maximum of 406,771 km (252,756 miles) from Earth.
- The Artemis II crew consists of Reid Wiseman (NASA, commander), Victor Glover (NASA), Christina Koch (NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (CSA, Canadian Space Agency).
- The six-hour lunar flyby occurred on April 21, 2024, during which the crew captured never-before-seen views of the Moon’s far side, including the Orientale Basin.
- The crew proposed naming two lunar craters: 'Integrity' (after the Orion spacecraft) and 'Carroll' (after Commander Wiseman’s late wife).
- The Artemis II mission launched on November 14, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
- The crew entered the Moon’s ‘sphere of influence’ on April 19, 2024, when the Moon’s gravity overtook Earth’s gravitational pull on the spacecraft.
- The Artemis II mission is a 10-day test flight with splashdown scheduled for April 11, 2024 (or April 10, 2024, depending on source), near San Diego, Pacific Ocean.
- The crew experienced a 40-minute communication blackout when passing behind the Moon, during which they reached the farthest distance from Earth.
- The Orion spacecraft carried 32 cameras, including Nikon D5, GoPros, and iPhones, to capture images of the Moon and Earth.
- The crew included the first woman (Christina Koch), first person of color (Victor Glover), and first non-American (Jeremy Hansen) to travel beyond low Earth orbit.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Orion spacecraft’s cabin lights were dimmed during the flyby to enhance lunar surface visibility and prevent window reflections.
- The crew used a ‘flywheel exercise device’ for daily 30-minute workouts to mitigate muscle and bone loss.
- The Artemis II crew named a crater ‘Integrity’ after the Orion spacecraft and ‘Carroll’ after Commander Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, with Hansen submitting the request to Mission Control.
- The crew captured an Earthrise image during the flyby, aiming to recreate the iconic Apollo 8 Earthrise photo.
- The crew included a ‘Green Light’ song by John Legend and Andre 3000 as a wake-up call for the translunar injection burn.
- The Artemis II crew used a ‘survival system’ in their suits to maintain oxygen, temperature, and pressure for up to six days in case of cabin depressurization.
- The crew observed a total solar eclipse during the flyby, with the Moon blocking the Sun and revealing the corona.
- The crew saw Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn during the flyby, with Venus appearing bright and Mars reddish.
- The crew included a ‘survival suit’ test on day five, designed for emergency situations like cabin depressurization.
- The crew’s wake-up call on day five was given by former Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, who shared a photo of his family.
- The crew’s maximum distance from Earth was described as ‘252,756 miles’ (406,772 km) in one Guardian article, with slight variations in other sources.
- The crew’s ‘Grand Canyon’ observation of the Orientale Basin was described as ‘never before seen with human eyes’ in a Guardian article.
- The crew’s emotional moment included Christina Koch describing an ‘overwhelming sense of being moved’ by the lunar landscape.
- The crew proposed naming a crater ‘Carroll’ after Commander Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, and said the crater is visible at certain times from Earth.
- The crew included a reference to Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell’s wake-up message: ‘Welcome to my old neighbourhood.’
- The crew’s maximum distance from Earth was stated as ‘252,760 miles (406,778 km)’ in this source.
- The crew’s translunar injection burn lasted less than six minutes and occurred 26 hours after launch (Article 5, ABC).
- The crew experienced a minor toilet malfunction and used contingency urine storage bags (Article 5, ABC).
- The crew’s cabin temperature was initially too cold, requiring astronauts to wear long-sleeved clothes (Article 5, ABC).
- The crew’s wake-up call on day six was a message from Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell (Article 13, ABC).
- The crew’s closest approach to the Moon was 6,545 km (4,070 miles) (Article 11, Newscomaustralia).
- The crew’s splashdown was described as occurring on April 10, 2024, at 8:07pm ET (Article 9, Guardian).
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 11 (Newscomaustralia) states the crew broke the record at 4am AEST on April 21, while Article 1 (ABC) and Article 14 (ABC) state it occurred around 3:56am AEDT on April 21, 2024.
- Article 1 (ABC) and Article 14 (ABC) mention the crew surpassed the record at 400,171 km, while Article 11 (Newscomaustralia) states the Apollo 13 record was 248,655 miles (400,171 km) and Artemis II reached 252,760 miles (406,778 km).
- Article 1 (ABC) and Article 14 (ABC) state the crew reached a maximum distance of 406,773 km, while Article 9 (Guardian) states 252,756 miles (406,772 km).
- Article 1 (ABC) and Article 14 (ABC) mention the crew’s splashdown on April 11, 2024, while Article 9 (Guardian) states April 10, 2024, at 8:07pm ET.
- Article 1 (ABC) and Article 14 (ABC) state the crew’s flyby began at 4:45am AEDT, while Article 11 (Newscomaustralia) does not specify the exact time of the flyby.
Source Articles
Blackouts, broken records and a message from the past: five key moments from Artemis II’s lunar flyby
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Artemis II crew enters moon’s ‘sphere of influence’ ahead of historic flyby
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Live: Artemis II on track to break humanity's all-time distance record
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Artemis II moon fly-by breaks Apollo 13 distance record
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