By Xavier Rivera· ·1 min read
Artemis II Crew Breaks Apollo 13 Distance Record
NASA's Artemis II crew sets a new human distance record from Earth at 252,757 miles, surpassing Apollo 13's 1970 mark. The achievement validates Orion's deep-space prowess, paving the way for crewed Moon landings in 2026.
Source:The Verge
The Orion spacecraft carrying NASA's Artemis II crew surges past 252,000 miles from Earth today, eclipsing Apollo 13's 1970 record of 248,655 miles by over 4,000 miles.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen peer out Orion's windows at a shrinking blue marble, marking humanity's farthest crewed venture in over half a century. Launched December 5 on the Space Launch System rocket, the 10-day test flight loops the Moon without landing, rigorously vetting Orion's heat shield, life support, and reentry systems.
Apollo 13 set its record amid crisis—oxygen tank explosion forced the abortive Moon trip. Artemis II, by contrast, executes flawlessly, a deliberate proof-of-concept for deep-space human flight. Orion's service module, built by Lockheed Martin and powered by European propulsion, demonstrates uncrewed endurance beyond low-Earth orbit.
This milestone cements NASA's pivot from shuttle-era ops to lunar gateway ambitions. Orion outperforms SpaceX's Crew Dragon in raw distance and radiation shielding, critical for Mars trajectories. Competitors like Blue Origin eye similar tech, but NASA's scale leads.
For users—meaning future astronauts and taxpayers—it signals reliable hardware. No more Apollo-era gambles; Orion returns at 24,500 mph, splashing Pacific on December 11.
Artemis III targets 2026 lunar south pole boots, with SpaceX Starship landing. Today's record-breaking loop forecasts that era, reigniting Moon race with China.
Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen peer out Orion's windows at a shrinking blue marble, marking humanity's farthest crewed venture in over half a century. Launched December 5 on the Space Launch System rocket, the 10-day test flight loops the Moon without landing, rigorously vetting Orion's heat shield, life support, and reentry systems.
Apollo 13 set its record amid crisis—oxygen tank explosion forced the abortive Moon trip. Artemis II, by contrast, executes flawlessly, a deliberate proof-of-concept for deep-space human flight. Orion's service module, built by Lockheed Martin and powered by European propulsion, demonstrates uncrewed endurance beyond low-Earth orbit.
This milestone cements NASA's pivot from shuttle-era ops to lunar gateway ambitions. Orion outperforms SpaceX's Crew Dragon in raw distance and radiation shielding, critical for Mars trajectories. Competitors like Blue Origin eye similar tech, but NASA's scale leads.
For users—meaning future astronauts and taxpayers—it signals reliable hardware. No more Apollo-era gambles; Orion returns at 24,500 mph, splashing Pacific on December 11.
Artemis III targets 2026 lunar south pole boots, with SpaceX Starship landing. Today's record-breaking loop forecasts that era, reigniting Moon race with China.
NASAArtemis IIOrionSpace