New Delhi, April 7: NASA’s historic Artemis II mission has achieved a significant milestone. The four astronauts aboard Artemis II have now traveled farther in space than any humans before them, breaking a 54-year-old record set by the Apollo missions. After 55 years, humans have once again orbited the Moon.
This achievement is a source of pride not only for the United States but for the entire world, as it marks the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 that humans have successfully orbited the Moon again.
NASA announced this success during a live coverage event on X. Mission Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen accomplished this feat aboard the Artemis II capsule, Orion. The mission launched on April 1 and completed this critical phase on the night of April 6-7, according to Indian Standard Time.
Reaching approximately 252,756 miles from Earth, the astronauts set a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans when they reached the far side of the Moon. During this time, when the Orion capsule passed behind the Moon, communication with Earth was completely lost for about 40 minutes, until 4:14 AM IST. The Moon blocked radio and laser signals, leaving the astronauts isolated. Once contact was reestablished, NASA’s mission control reconnected with Artemis II.
During their journey, the astronauts captured numerous new images of the Moon and collected vital data that will be invaluable for future Artemis missions and human landings on the lunar surface. As the Orion capsule passed behind the Moon, the astronauts witnessed a spectacular total solar eclipse, observing the Moon mostly shrouded in darkness, which will be used to study the solar corona.
The Artemis II mission is a crucial part of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land humans on the Moon again by the end of the 2020s. NASA has described the success of this mission as an example of “moving forward with strong shoulders.”
While astronauts from various countries have landed on the Moon, the Artemis II mission allows humans to explore parts of the Moon that have never been seen before. NASA’s Orion spacecraft has ventured deep into lunar territory.
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