Within moon's reach, Artemis II mission breaks distance record set by Apollo 13

As cynthia II's hunter ballistic capsule boomerangs around the moon on mon, the historic mission has broken the distance record as the farthest humans have flown from Earth.

The record was broken at 1:57 p.m. ET as the crew of four astronauts passed the record of 400,171 kilometres from Earth set by Apollo 13 in April 1970.

The Canadian Space Agency says astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his three American crewmates are now the space explorers who have ventured farther into space than anyone before.

"It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the moon right now. It is just unbelievable," Hansen radioed ahead of the flyby. He challenged "this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived."

Hansen earlier said he and his team would be seeing the moon close enough that it would look like a basketball held at arm's reach.

Former Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean says that while the mission is a "test" one, it's still momentous.

Moments after breaking Apollo 13's record, the astronauts asked permission to name two fresh lunar craters already observed. They proposed Integrity, their capsule's name, and Carroll, in honour of commander Reid Wiseman's late wife who died of cancer in 2020. Wiseman wept as Hansen put in the request to Mission Control, and all four astronauts embraced in tears.

"Such a majestic view out here," Wiseman said.

The astronauts started the momentous day with the voice of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who recorded a wake-up message just two months before his death last August.

"Welcome to my old neighbourhood," said Lovell, who also flew on Apollo 8, humanity's first lunar visit. "It's a historic day and I know how busy you'll be, but don’t forget to enjoy the view."

The crew took up with them the Apollo 8 silk patch that accompanied Lovell to the moon, and showed it off as the crucial flyby approached. "It's just a real honour to have that on board with us," said Wiseman. "Let’s go have a great day."

NASA said earlier the estimated maximum distance from Earth during today's flyby by the Orion spacecraft will exceed 406,000 kilometres.

As Orion passes behind the moon, the spacecraft will enter a communications blackout of about 40 minutes as the lunar surface blocks radio signals.

Later, it will come as close as about 6,500 kilometres to the moon's surface, and from that vantage point Hansen has said the moon will look like a basketball held at arm's length.

Artemis II mission Day 5: Nearing the moon's gravitational sphere

For a little over five hours, the crew is expected to take turns observing and photographing geological features on the moon, like impact craters and ancient lava flows.

Wiseman, Hansen, pilot Victor Glover and Christina Koch are on track to pass as close as 6,550 kilometres to the moon as their Orion capsule whips past it, hangs a U-turn and then heads back toward Earth.

It will take them four days to get back, with a splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego concluding their test flight on Friday, nine days after its Florida launch.

Wiseman and his crew spent years studying lunar geography to prepare for the big event, adding solar eclipses to their repertoire during the past few weeks. By launching last Wednesday, they ensured themselves of a total solar eclipse from their vantage point behind the moon, courtesy of the cosmos.

"The crew will make their lunar observations with real-time data analysis, guidance provided by a team of scientists and the knowledge acquired through their geology training in Labrador, Iceland and in class to describe surface textures, shapes, and colours, providing valuable data for future exploration of the moon," reads a news release from the Canadian Space Agency.

The flyby promises views of the moon's far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them.

NASA says the Orientale basin, a 3.8-billion-year-old crater that formed when a large object struck the lunar surface, will be fully illuminated and visible as Orion approaches.

Other sightseeing goals: the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites from 1969 and 1971, respectively, as well as fringes of the south polar region, the preferred locale for future touchdowns. Farther afield, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn — not to mention Earth — will be visible.

Their moon mentor, NASA geologist Kelsey Young, expects thousands of pictures.

"People all over the world connect with the moon. This is something that every single person on this planet can understand and connect with," she said on the eve of the flyby, wearing eclipse earrings.

NASA officials asked about Artemis II toilet troubles

On Tuesday, Orion will leave the lunar sphere of influence en route back to Earth.

Apollo 13's astronauts missed out on a moon landing when one of their oxygen tanks ruptured on the way there.

The voyage coined the famous phrase, "Houston, we've had a problem."

Mission Control pivoted to a free-return lunar trajectory to get them home as fast and efficiently as possible. This routing relies on the gravity of Earth and the moon, and minimal fuel.

Artemis II's astronauts are following the same figure-eight path since they are neither orbiting the moon nor landing on it.

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