HOUSTON, Texas — The Artemis II crew has successfully completed its lunar flyby and is now journeying back to Earth, officially traveling farther into space than any humans in history. Confirming the milestone, reports from BBC News, CNN, Reuters, the Associated Press, Space.com, and NPR detailed the historic transit around the far side of the moon. Each of the bullet points immediately below have been confirmed by at least four of the six respected sources we curated on this story.
- The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft surpassed the distance record previously held by the 1970 Apollo 13 mission.
- During the closest approach of the lunar flyby, the crew lost communication with mission control for approximately 40 minutes while transiting the moon’s far side.
- The mission represents the first crewed journey to the moon in more than half a century.
- Following the slingshot maneuver around the moon, the capsule is now safely locked onto a return trajectory for an eventual splashdown on Earth.
Additional Details Reported
While the crew was out of contact, mission controllers eagerly awaited the reacquisition of signal, which confirmed the spacecraft’s health following the critical engine burn. NASA subsequently released preliminary images captured during the flyby, featuring a striking view of Earth setting behind the lunar horizon.
The success of the flyby serves as a crucial validation for the spacecraft’s life support and navigation systems. Officials note that this mission paves the way for the forthcoming Artemis III, which will target a physical landing on the lunar surface.
Image Attribution
Attribution: AI-generated image (Hedra.com for EOBS.biz)
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