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The Artemis II mission has achieved a remarkable feat, with the crew flying further from Earth than any human before them, reaching a distance of 406,778km (252,760 miles) from Earth. This historic moment broke a 56-year-old record set by the Apollo 13 mission.During their six-hour lunar flyby, the crew captured unprecedented views of the moon's far side, providing a human perspective on features previously only known through robotic photographs. The astronauts used high-powered Nikon cameras and their iPhones to document the lunar surface, with plans to return with thousands of pictures, including images of the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites.The mission also included an emotional moment when the crew honored the legacy of past astronauts. They began the day with a wake-up message from Jim Lovell, the Apollo 13 commander, who recorded the message two months before his death. Lovell welcomed the crew to 'my old neighborhood' and encouraged them to enjoy the view.In a touching gesture, the astronauts named two fresh lunar craters. They proposed the names Integrity for their capsule and Carroll, in honor of Commander Reid Wiseman's late wife who passed away from cancer in 2020. Wiseman, a former fighter pilot, has been raising their two daughters on his own since then. The names will be passed along to the International Astronomical Union for official designation.The mission's free-return lunar trajectory took advantage of gravity from the Earth and moon, reducing the need for fuel. This figure-of-eight path will put the astronauts on course for home once they emerge from behind the moon. As they passed across the far side of the moon, the capsule experienced a 40-minute communications blackout, a routine occurrence during the Apollo missions.Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen challenged future generations to make sure the record broken by Artemis II is not long-lived. The crew's achievements and emotional moments highlight the significance of this mission in the history of space exploration.

NASA's Artemis II mission has made history by breaking the record for the farthest human travel from Earth. The four astronauts on board the Orion spacecraft surpassed the previous record of 400,171km (248,655 miles) on Monday at 15:58 GMT, a feat previously achieved by Apollo 13 in April 1970.The mission, which is currently travelling around the far side of the moon, is expected to reach its maximum distance of roughly 406,788km (252,760 miles) from Earth at 23:07 GMT. During this journey, the crew will spend more than six hours analysing and documenting lunar surface features.The astronauts began their landmark day with a message from the late Jim Lovell, who took part in the Apollo 8 and 13 missions. Lovell recorded the message shortly before his death, saying, “It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view. Welcome to my old neighbourhood. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you as you swing around the moon.”Travelling around the moon's far side, the astronauts will witness previously hidden lunar territory, including the Orientale basin, a massive crater that had only been viewed by orbiting cameras on uncrewed missions. Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, highlighted the importance of human observation, stating, “The human eye is basically the best camera that could ever or will ever exist.”The Artemis II crew includes several firsts: Victor Glover will be the first person of colour to fly around the moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American. The mission is a crucial step towards preparing for subsequent missions like Artemis III in 2027 and a lunar landing as part of the Artemis IV mission in 2028.

Nicola Jennings, a renowned cartoonist for The Guardian, has created a thought-provoking cartoon illustrating the Artemis II mission's achievement of reaching the far side of the moon.The cartoon, published on April 6, 2026, showcases Jennings' unique perspective on space exploration and the advancements made by NASA through the Artemis program.The Artemis II mission marks a significant milestone in space travel, as it ventures further into the lunar environment, paving the way for future manned missions to the moon and beyond.

The Artemis II astronauts are on course to set a new distance record on Monday when they fly by the moon without stopping, then swing around for planet Earth. The crew consists of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch of NASA, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.During the flyby, the astronauts will travel 5,000 miles (8,047km) beyond the moon, exceeding the distance record set by the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970. The Apollo 13 astronauts reached a maximum of 248,655 miles (400,171km) from Earth before making their turn, while the Artemis II crew is expected to exceed that by about 4,000 miles (6,437km).The Orion capsule's roughly six-hour flyby on Monday promises views of the moon's far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the Apollo program astronauts who preceded them more than half a century ago. A total solar eclipse also awaits them as the moon blocks the sun, exposing snippets of shimmering corona.“We'll get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force,” flight director Judd Frieling said. The astronauts will take turns capturing the lunar views out their windows and will be able to make out “definite chunks of the far side that have never been seen” by humans.Once the capsule rounds the moon, it will take four days to return to Earth. NASA is aiming for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on 10 April, nine days after its Florida launch.

Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman has stated that the possibility of alien life is a crucial factor in planning the agency's space missions. In a recent interview with CNN's Meet the Press, Isaacman emphasized that investigating the existence of alien life 'goes to the heart of many things that we do at Nasa.'Isaacman's comments come as Nasa's Artemis mission to circumnavigate the moon is underway, marking the first lunar mission since 1972. The mission aims to explore the moon's far side and could potentially lay the groundwork for a moon base on the south pole, equipped with telescopes to aid in the search for extraterrestrial life.While acknowledging that he has not encountered any aliens during his own space travels, Isaacman expressed optimism about the likelihood of discovering life elsewhere in the universe. 'With 2 trillion galaxies out there, who knows how many star systems within each of them? I would say the odds that we will find something at some point to suggest that we are not alone are pretty high,' he said.The Artemis mission has also faced challenges, including a malfunctioning $30 million toilet on the Orion spacecraft. However, Isaacman assured that the issue has been addressed, and the crew is prepared for any eventuality.

The historic Artemis II mission is on track to reach the far side of the moon on Monday, with NASA reporting satisfaction with the progress made since the team's launch on Wednesday. The crew, comprising three Americans and one Canadian, will break the record for maximum range from Earth.The astronauts, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen, are the first to bound for the moon in over half a century, picking up where the Apollo program left off in 1972. The mission aims to establish a permanent lunar base, with NASA targeting a landing by two crew members near the lunar south pole in 2028.During their journey, the crew has reported persistent issues with the Orion capsule's toilet, which has been malfunctioning since liftoff. Despite this, morale remains high, with the astronauts describing their experiences and sharing images of the moon's surface.The next significant milestone is expected overnight Sunday into Monday, when the astronauts will enter the lunar sphere of influence, where the moon's gravity will have a stronger pull on the spacecraft than Earth's. If successful, the Artemis II crew will have traveled further from Earth than any human before.The mission promises breathtaking views of the moon's far side, which was too dark or difficult to see for the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them. The crew will observe the celestial body with their naked eyes and cameras onboard during the flyby, which will last approximately six hours.