Artemis II just set a new distance-from-Earth record
· Axios
Artemis II's four astronauts have officially gone where no one has gone before, setting on Monday a new distance-from-Earth record for human spaceflight.
Why it matters: Artemis II broke Apollo 13's 248,655-mile record, set over 55 years ago on that ill-fated ship's emergency flight home.
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- Upon crossing that mark, Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman named a lunar crater "Carroll," after his wife who passed away from cancer in 2020.
Driving the news: The lunar quartet has further to go yet.
- They'll reach their maximum distance (252,760 miles) just after 7 p.m. ET tonight.
What's next: The crew is starting their seven-hour lunar orbit and observation period this afternoon. (Watch live.)
- At 6:44 p.m. ET, the crew will enter an expected 40-minute radio blackout on the dark side of the Moon.
- They will later witness a solar eclipse, with the Moon blocking the Sun from their perspective.
Also planned: A chance to shoot a new version of "Earthrise" — perhaps the Apollo era's most famous photo not taken on the Moon itself.
What they're saying: Apollo 8 and 13's Jim Lovell, in a message to the Artemis II crew recorded before his 2015 death: "Welcome to my old neighborhood!"
- "It's a historic day and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view."