Artemis II Shatters Apollo 13 Distance Record and Begins Earth Return

The Artemis II crew has officially begun their four-day journey back to Earth after reaching a record-breaking maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth—surpassing the 1970 milestone set by Apollo 13. During the historic lunar flyby, the astronauts witnessed a total solar eclipse and received a posthumous radio greeting from Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell. The mission successfully demonstrates NASA’s heavy-lift capabilities and sets the stage for a crewed lunar landing in late 2027.