NASA Artemis II Mission to Break Human Space Distance Record During Lunar Flyby

On Monday, NASA's Artemis II mission will achieve two historic milestones during its lunar flyby. The crew of four astronauts—NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—will approach the moon's surface closer than any human has in over five decades. This close encounter, occurring just after 7pm New York time, will provide unprecedented views of the moon's far side, which remains invisible from Earth. Earlier that day, around 2pm New York time, the mission will surpass the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, marking the farthest any humans have traveled in space. Launched on April 1, Artemis II functions as a critical test for vehicles intended to support future lunar landings, potentially within two years. The flyby represents the mission's peak moment, with astronauts capturing images during several hours of proximity to the lunar surface.