Artemis II mission to the moon: photos show first-ever glimpse of far side of moon
- Posted on April 7, 2026
- By The Toronto Star
- 10 Views
In brief
NASA's Artemis II mission achieved a historic breakthrough as the Orion spacecraft ventured farther into space than any crewed vessel before. Traveling 406,000 kilometers from Earth during its lunar flyby, the spacecraft surpassed Apollo 13's distance record. This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in deep space exploration and demonstrates NASA's progress toward returning humans to the Moon with advanced technology and safety protocols.
Artemis II mission to the moon: photos show first-ever glimpse of far side of moon
The milestone occurred around 7 p.m. Monday, when the Orion spacecraft flew over 406,000 km from Earth during its flyby of the moon, surpassing the previous record set by the Apollo 13 crew of 400,171 km.
