Astronauts aboard the NASA Artemis II mission have traveled farther from Earth than any humans before, offering a rare glimpse of the moon’s far side during a historic lunar flyby on Monday.
The crew, flying in NASA’s Orion spacecraft, is orbiting the moon and capturing images never before seen by human eyes.
“Artemis II has reached its maximum distance from Earth,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said.
“On the far side of the Moon, 252,756 miles away, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy have now traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history and now begin their journey home,” he added. “Before they left, they said they hoped this mission would be forgotten, but it will be remembered as the moment people started to believe that America can once again do the near-impossible and change the world.”
As they pass behind the moon, they will lose direct contact with Earth for around 40 minutes. They are documenting the rugged terrain of the lunar far side, a region hidden from view since the early days of space exploration.
The spacecraft will enter a roughly seven-hour window close enough to the moon’s surface for high-resolution imaging on Monday afternoon. During this period, astronauts are focusing on geological features that could inform future landing sites.
Unlike the historic Apollo 17 mission, Artemis II will not land on the moon. The 10-day mission is designed as a test flight, paving the way for a crewed landing expected within two years.
NASA’s broader Artemis program aims to establish a sustained human presence on the moon. The campaign includes multiple missions — beginning with Artemis I in 2022 and extending through Artemis IV, currently targeted for the late 2020s — that will build toward a permanent lunar infrastructure.
At its closest approach, the moon will appear to the crew about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length. The flyby is also a critical test of navigation, communication, and crew operations in deep space.
Isaacman congratulated those involved in the mission but cautioned that the mission was not yet complete.
“Congratulations to this incredible crew and the entire NASA team, our international and commercial partners, but this mission isn’t over until they’re under safe parachutes, splashing down into the Pacific,” Isaacman said.
The mission unfolds amid a renewed focus on space policy in the second Trump administration.
WHAT IS THE NASA ARTEMIS PROGRAM?
A proposed fiscal 2027 budget from the White House Office of Management and Budget would cut NASA’s overall funding by 23% to $18.8 billion while still directing significant investment toward lunar exploration efforts, including more than $700 million earmarked for future moon landing programs.
Despite those uncertainties, Artemis II marks a major milestone in humanity’s return to deep space and a pivotal step toward putting astronauts back on the moon.
