Artemis II Crew Will Travel Farther From Earth Than Any Humans Ever Have on Monday
At 7:05 p.m. ET on Monday, April 6, the four Artemis II astronauts will be farther from Earth than any humans have ever been in the history of spaceflight.
NASA's Artemis II crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — launched aboard the Orion spacecraft on April 1 and are currently traveling around the Moon and back in the first crewed test flight of NASA's Artemis program. On Monday, during their closest approach to the lunar surface, they will break a record that has stood for 56 years.
The Apollo 13 crew traveled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, setting the record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from our planet. Artemis II will reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles, surpassing that record by about 4,102 miles.
When Will the Artemis II Crew Be Closest to the Moon?
Live coverage of Monday's lunar flyby begins at 1 p.m. ET and continues through 9:45 p.m. ET. At 7:02 p.m., the crew will make their closest approach to the Moon, passing within 4,066 miles of the lunar surface. Three minutes later, at 7:05 p.m., they will reach the farthest point from Earth — 252,757 miles out.
The crew is expected to make remarks on the milestone around 2:10 p.m. ET.
The moment is made more dramatic by what surrounds it. Mission Control expects to temporarily lose communication with the crew at 6:47 p.m. as Orion passes behind the Moon — meaning the astronauts will break the record in near-complete isolation, out of contact with Earth, on the far side of the Moon. Communication is expected to be restored at 7:27 p.m.
One last look at Earth before we reach the Moon.
— NASA (@NASA) April 5, 2026
This view of the Earth was captured on April 5, the fourth day of the Artemis II mission, from inside the Orion spacecraft. The four astronauts will reach their closest approach of the Moon tomorrow, April 6. pic.twitter.com/z2NJUGWkKc
What the Artemis II Crew Will See During the Lunar Flyby
At their maximum distance, the Moon will appear to the astronauts about the size of a basketball held at arm's length. They may also be the first humans to see some parts of the Moon's far side with the unaided eye.
A seven-hour lunar observation period begins at 2:45 p.m., during which the crew will see both the near and far sides of the Moon. Because room at Orion's windows is limited, the crew will divide into pairs, with two crew members observing at a time while the other pair exercises or works on other tasks.
How to Watch the Artemis II Lunar Flyby
Real-time coverage continues throughout the mission on NASA's YouTube channel, including a separate live stream of views from the Orion spacecraft. You can also track Orion's position in real time at nasa.gov/trackartemis.
Monday's record will stand until NASA's own future missions surpass it.