Artemis II crew members Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen passed the previous distance record at 12:56 p.m. CDT on Monday, April 6.
Artemis II will validate navigation, communications, and imaging activities for later lunar missions.
One released Artemis II image shows the Moon during an eclipse with Orion visible in the foreground.
From lunar orbit, the Moon eclipses the Sun during the Artemis II eclipse.
The Orion spacecraft reached 248,655 miles from Earth during Artemis II on Monday, April 6.
Donald Trump contacted the Artemis II crew after the mission phase was completed.
Orion captured the first photo from the far side of the Moon during Artemis II.
Artemis II captured an eclipse on April 6, 2026.
Artemis II's European Service Module has solar arrays made in the Netherlands.
Artemis II remained out of contact with Earth for about 40 minutes during the far-side flyby.
The Artemis II crew surpassed the Apollo 13 record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth at 400,171 kilometres, or 248,655 miles.
Artemis II collected data on space radiation, microgravity, and Orion’s life-support systems.
Artemis II recovery operations and post-flight medical evaluations will take place aboard the USS John P. Murtha.
The Artemis II crew reported six meteoroid impact flashes on the Moon’s night side.
Artemis II splashdown is scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2026.
The Artemis II crew observed nearly 54 minutes of totality during the lunar eclipse captured on April 6, 2026.
The Artemis II crew used multiple cameras to take thousands of photographs during the lunar flyby.
Artemis II began with an April 1 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Space Launch System rocket.
Artemis II captured an image of a part of the Moon that had never been seen directly by human eyes before.
Artemis II used a series of engine burns to depart Earth orbit and set course for the Moon.