Artemis II Astronauts Shatter Distance Record in Historic Moon Flyby
The Artemis II crew has achieved a monumental milestone, traveling farther from Earth than any humans in history. During their six-hour lunar flyby, the astronauts surpassed the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, reaching over 248,655 miles from our planet and continuing to extend that gap by more than 4,100 miles.
Emotional Tribute Amidst the Void
In a poignant moment as they floated through space, the crew proposed naming two craters on the moon. One would honor their spacecraft, Integrity, and the other would memorialize commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll. Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, with tears in his voice, communicated from the Orion capsule: 'We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll. It's a bright spot on the moon. We would like to call it Carroll.' NASA responded promptly, acknowledging the request with 'Integrity and Carroll crater. Loud and clear.'
A Journey Steeped in History and Science
This mission marks NASA's first return to the moon since the Apollo era, utilizing a free-return lunar trajectory similar to Apollo 13's emergency path. The crew, including Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada's Jeremy Hansen, conducted intense lunar observations, targeting sites like the Orientale Basin and Apollo landing zones. They carried an Apollo 8 silk patch, a tribute from the late commander Jim Lovell, whose recorded message welcomed them to his 'old neighborhood.'
As they approached within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface, traveling at speeds up to 3,139 mph, the astronauts reflected on the cosmic view. Glover noted the significance of flying during Holy Week, emphasizing 'the beauty of creation' and humanity's unity in the vast universe. The mission sets the stage for Artemis III and future moon landings, with a splashdown in the Pacific expected to conclude this test flight.
