Artemis Astronauts Smashing Space Distance Record

• Victor Glover to be the first person of color to orbit the Moon.
• Canada’s Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American to do so.
• Christina Koch will be the first woman to achieve this milestone.

The four astronauts on NASA’s lunar flyby are now the farthest humans have traveled from Earth, as they prepare to see parts of the Moon never before visible to the naked eye.

They broke the previous record set by Apollo 13 in 1970, and are expected to surpass it by approximately 4,105 miles (6,606 kilometers) when they reach the maximum distance from Earth today—around 252,760 miles (406,778 kilometers).

During this historic lunar orbit, they’ll spend over six hours examining and documenting lunar surface features.

The spacecraft has entered the Moon’s gravitational influence, meaning it’s now in the satellite’s neighborhood, with lunar gravity exerting more pull than Earth’s.

The Orion capsule is circling the Moon before executing a “free-return trajectory” that will bring it back to Earth in about four days.

Commencing their historic journey, the crew listened to a message from Jim Lovell, who participated in Apollo 8 and 13 missions and passed away recently.

“It’s a historic day, and I know you’ll be busy, but remember to enjoy the view,” Lovell’s message said.

“Welcome to my old neighborhood,” he added. “I’m proud to hand the torch over to you as you circle the Moon.”

On the far side of the Moon, the crew will witness lunar terrain never before seen directly, with the Moon appearing roughly the size of a basketball held at arm’s length through their windows, according to Noah Petro, head of NASA’s planetary geology lab.

‘The Artemis II crew includes several firsts,’ Petro noted. ‘Victor Glover will be the first person of color to orbit the Moon, Christina Koch will be the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first non-American.’

There will be about a 40-minute period during which communication with Artemis II will be temporarily lost while the crew passes behind the Moon.

“It will be a mix of excitement and a bit of anxiety as they go behind the lunar horizon,” said Dr. Derek Buzasi, an astrophysics professor at the University of Chicago.

Human Eyes Versus Cameras

The astronauts are already observing features that previously could only be seen through orbiting satellites. An image from onboard shows the Orientale basin, a giant crater historically only observed by unmanned orbiters.

Near the end of the flyby, they’ll observe a solar eclipse as the Moon blocks the Sun.

Despite advances in technology since Apollo, NASA still relies heavily on astronauts’ eyesight to gather detailed lunar information.

“The human eye is essentially the best camera there is,” Kelsey Young, lead scientist for Artemis II, told AFP. “Our eyes have a far greater number of receptors than any camera.”

Though the spacecraft remains at a significant distance, this flyby is crucial for preparing for future surface missions to the Moon.

“We’re learning a lot about the spacecraft that will help us future missions like Artemis III in 2027 and the lunar landing during Artemis IV in 2028,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told CNN.