NASA-Artemis II Astronauts Complete Historic Lunar Flyby

NASA’s Artemis II mission has made history after its four-member crew completed a record-breaking journey around the Moon. The Orion spacecraft reached a distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 record set in 1970.

Astronauts witnessed parts of the Moon’s far side directly and experienced a brief 40-minute communications blackout as the spacecraft passed behind it. During the mission, the crew also observed a solar eclipse, which astronaut Victor Glover described as “unreal.”

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Right now, the Orion capsule is passing behind the Moon, so the Sun is entirely eclipsed from their perspective. During this time, they will view a mostly darkened Moon and will use the opportunity to analyze the solar corona. pic.twitter.com/PWDPfZKxGh

— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026

The spacecraft came as close as 4,067 miles to the Moon before beginning its return journey to Earth. The crew is expected to splash down off the California coast later this week.

President Donald Trump spoke with the astronauts, praising them as “modern-day pioneers” and highlighting the mission as a milestone in advancing America’s leadership in space exploration.

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Artemis II Set For Historic Moon Flyby

NASA’s Artemis II mission is set to complete a historic lunar flyby on April 6, marking the first crewed journey around the Moon in more than five decades, according to NASA. The mission, launched on April 1, carries four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft and aims to test systems

tippinsightsTIPP Staff