Beyond Apollo: Artemis II Crew Breaks All-Time Human Distance Record
Artemis II astronauts have officially traveled farther from Earth than any human in history, breaking a record held since Apollo 13 in 1970.
A New Milestone in Lunar Exploration
In a historic moment for space exploration, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission officially broke a 56-year-old record on Monday. At approximately 2:00 PM ET, the four-person crew surpassed the distance milestone set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, traveling more than 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) away from Earth.
This achievement marks the farthest any human being has ever traveled from our home planet. As the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, reached its maximum distance of 252,756 miles, the crew took the opportunity to honor the legacy of those who supported their journey through a symbolic naming ceremony.
Honoring a Legacy: The 'Carroll' Crater
During a live broadcast from lunar orbit, the crew proposed names for two prominent craters on the Moon’s surface. While one was named after their command module, the second proposal was deeply personal.
Mission specialist Jeremy Hansen announced that the crew wished to name a particularly radiant crater—described as a "bright spot on the Moon"—after Carroll Wiseman, the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman. Carroll, a beloved member of the NASA "astronaut family," passed away from cancer in 2020 at the age of 46.
In a historic moment for space exploration, the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission officially broke a 56-year-old record on Monday.
"We lost a loved one... the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie," Hansen shared during the NASA livestream. "We would like to call it Carroll."
Following the announcement, the crew shared an emotional embrace inside the cabin, a poignant moment of humanity against the backdrop of the lunar far side.
Next Steps for Artemis II
While the names "Integrity" and "Carroll" have significant meaning for the crew, they remain unofficial for the time being. The proposals must be submitted to and approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the global body responsible for the official nomenclature of planetary surface features.
The Artemis II mission serves as a critical flight test, proving the systems of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) work as intended with humans aboard. This successful flyby of the Moon paves the way for the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time in over five decades.
As the crew begins their journey back to Earth, they do so not only as record-breakers but as pioneers who have bridged the gap between scientific achievement and personal tribute.