On a Monday that marks the midpoint of a human return to deep space, four astronauts swing around the far side of the Moon and carry humanity's farthest journey from home into a new chapter. Their path, built on decades of lunar ambition that began with Apollo, will soon surpass a record that has stood since 1970, a milestone measured not in triumph alone but in the patient distance people are willing to travel. As they pass behind the Moon and fall silent for a time, the act of looking back at the small blue world becomes both a scientific task and a quiet reminder of how far, and how fragile
Artemis II Crew Set to Break Distance Record on Historic Far-Side Moon Flyby
The farthest-traveling humans in history
Mark
Why does passing Apollo 13's record matter if the crew isn't landing?
Mimi
Because it's a distance mark, not a landing mark. Apollo 13's 248,655 miles from 1970 gets topped at about 1:56 p.m. ET, and the crew peaks at 252,760 miles around 7:07 p.m.
Luke
Worth noting those times are the schedule, not results. The reporting lays out a plan; whether each milestone lands on time isn't confirmed here.
Mark
And the 40 minutes of silence?
Mimi
Orion goes behind the Moon at 6:44 p.m., and the Moon blocks radio. Contact is expected back around 7:25 p.m., when Earth rises over the lunar limb.
Luke
Expected is the key word. The 40 minutes is an approximation.
Mark
What are the crew actually doing all day?
Mimi
Nearly seven hours of window time from 2:45 p.m., taking high-resolution images and doing manual geological observations.
Mark
Then the return?
Mimi
Splashdown Friday near San Diego, about 8:06 p.m. ET, with the USS John P. Murtha leading recovery.
Luke
That depends on winds under 25 knots and waves under 6 feet. The outlook is favorable now, but it's a forecast days out, and the source doesn't say how confident it is.
O Pulso
- The crew will lose radio contact with Earth for about 40 minutes as the Moon's bulk blocks every signal during the far-side pass.
- Orion will break the 1970 Apollo 13 distance record, reaching roughly 252,760 miles from Earth at the peak of the flyby.
- Mission teams are racing through a packed schedule of imagery, geological observations, and a solar eclipse seen from deep space.
- Splashdown off San Diego is set for Friday evening, but recovery depends on winds under 25 knots and waves below 6 feet.
- Forecasters are watching for afternoon thunderstorms and shifting swells that could complicate helicopter and diver recovery.
On a Monday that marks the midpoint of a human return to deep space, four astronauts swing around the far side of the Moon and carry humanity's farthest journey from home into a new chapter. Their path, built on decades of lunar ambition that began with Apollo, will soon surpass a record that has stood since 1970, a milestone measured not in triumph alone but in the patient distance people are willing to travel. As they pass behind the Moon and fall silent for a time, the act of looking back at the small blue world becomes both a scientific task and a quiet reminder of how far, and how fragile, our home appears from out there.
At 9:50 this morning, Mission Control will wake the four Artemis II astronauts with a song chosen for flyby day. The crew, who launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, has reached the busiest point of its ten-day journey. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will not land on the Moon. Instead they will loop around it and become the farthest-traveling humans in history.
The afternoon is built around that record. Orion is expected to pass Apollo 13's 1970 distance mark of 248,655 miles just before two o'clock Eastern. Soon after, the crew will keep their windows trained on the lunar surface for nearly seven hours, taking high-resolution images and making manual geological observations.
The evening brings the most dramatic stretch. At 6:44 p.m., Orion slips behind the far side, and the Moon cuts off all radio contact for about 40 minutes. Shortly after the blackout begins, Earth will appear to set behind the lunar horizon. At 7:07 p.m., the crew reaches its maximum distance of 252,760 miles from home. When they re-emerge at 7:25 p.m., communications should return and they may see Earth rise over the limb.
The day continues with a solar eclipse seen from deep space, then a high-speed slingshot back toward Earth. Splashdown is planned for Friday evening off San Diego, where recovery teams aboard the USS John P. Murtha will retrieve the crew. Weather will decide whether that plan holds, and forecasters are watching the conditions closely.
At 9:50 this morning, Eastern time, Mission Control is scheduled to wake the four astronauts aboard Orion with a special song chosen for flyby day. It opens the busiest stretch of the Artemis II mission, which has now reached the apex of its 10-day journey.
The crew launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 1. Reid Wiseman is commander, Victor Glover is pilot, and Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are mission specialists. They will not land on the Moon today. They will loop around it, and in doing so become the farthest-traveling humans in history.
The schedule is built around that record. At 1:56 p.m. ET, Orion is expected to pass the distance mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970, which stands at 248,655 miles from Earth. Less than an hour later, at 2:45 p.m., the lunar observation window opens. For nearly seven hours the crew will keep their windows pointed at the Moon, capturing high-resolution imagery and making manual geological observations.
The most dramatic stretch comes in the evening. At 6:44 p.m., Orion slips behind the far side of the Moon, and the bulk of the Moon blocks all radio signals. The crew will be out of contact with Earth for about 40 minutes. One minute after the blackout begins, the Earth will appear to set behind the lunar horizon, a view that only a handful of people have ever seen.
Orion reaches its closest approach to the lunar surface at 7:02 p.m., at an altitude of just 4,070 miles. Five minutes later, at 7:07 p.m., the crew hits its maximum distance from home: 252,760 miles from Earth, about 4,100 miles beyond the Apollo 13 mark. At 7:25 p.m., the spacecraft emerges from behind the Moon, communications are expected to be reacquired, and the crew should see Earth rise over the lunar limb.
The day is not finished then. Between 8:35 and 9:32 p.m., the crew is due to watch the Sun pass behind the Moon, a solar eclipse seen from deep space. The observation period ends at 9:20 p.m., as Orion begins a high-speed slingshot back toward Earth.
Attention is already turning to the return. Splashdown is planned for Friday at about 8:06 p.m. ET in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego. Recovery teams led by the USS John P. Murtha are tracking a specific landing target, and they will use specialized cranes and inflatable rafts to retrieve the four astronauts and their capsule from the water.
Weather will decide whether the plan holds. For a go on Friday evening, sustained winds must stay below 25 knots and significant wave heights must not exceed 6 feet. The current outlook for that hour is favorable, but forecasters from NASA and FOX Weather are watching for isolated afternoon thunderstorms or shifts in swell that could affect visibility for recovery helicopters and divers.
Citações Notáveis
For a go on Friday evening, winds must stay below 25 knots and waves must not exceed 6 feet.— Splashdown weather criteria, as reported by FOX Weather
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