Artemis II: Moon Flyby and Distance Record

# Artemis II Mission: Record-Breaking Lunar Flyby Aboard Orion

The Artemis II crew aboard the Orion spacecraft reached a maximum distance from Earth of 406,771 km on April 7, 2026, at 02:02:51 MSK, surpassing the Apollo 13 record from 1970 by 8,047 km. The astronauts saw the far side of the Moon with the naked eye for the first time in 50 years and took photos of more than 30 objects. The flyby lasted nearly seven hours, with a minimum distance to the surface of 6,550 km.

During the maneuver, the spacecraft went out of communication with Earth for 40 minutes. The crew observed the Sun-illuminated lunar surface for five hours, including a unique vantage point for a total solar eclipse with a view of the Sun's corona.

Scientific Observations and Geological Training

The astronauts conducted studies of the lunar surface, documenting craters, ancient lava flows, and terrain shaped by tectonic and volcanic processes. Before the mission, the crew trained in Iceland and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), where the landscapes mimic those on the Moon.

The collected data will help reconstruct ancient geological processes on the Moon and in the Solar System. NASA launched a 4K live stream of the Moon from Orion's onboard cameras to transmit visual information in real time.

• Key Flyby Parameters:

- Duration: ~7 hours

- Minimum distance to the Moon: 6,550 km

- Maximum distance from Earth: 406,771 km

- Objects photographed: >30

- Time out of contact: 40 minutes

Crew and Mission Trajectory

The crew consists of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen. The SLS rocket launch with Orion took place on April 2, 2026, at 01:35 MSK from the John F. Kennedy Space Center (Florida). The lunar flyby began on April 6 at 21:45 MSK.

The trajectory calls for a flyby at a distance of ~8,000 km from the surface. Return to Earth is expected on April 12, 2026. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) noted the limited time for surface study—several hours.

Key Highlights

• First visual inspection of the Moon's far side with the naked eye in 50 years.
• Human flight distance record—406,771 km from Earth.
• Photography of >30 geological objects for analyzing ancient processes.
• Observation of the solar corona during the eclipse from a unique trajectory.
• Geological training in similar Earth landscapes for accurate observations.

— Editorial Team