Artemis II Crew to Break Distance Record from Earth Today

On April 15, 1970, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert set a distance record when Apollo 13 traveled 248,655 miles from Earth. Fast forward nearly 56 years, and the crew of Artemis II is poised to shatter that record by several thousand miles. The Orion spacecraft is set to reach a maximum distance of 252,757 miles from Earth later today as it completes its journey around the far side of the Moon.

NASA will kick off its coverage of the lunar flyby at 1 PM ET today, and the astronauts are expected to establish the new distance record at 1:56 PM ET. The mission will take about six hours, featuring observations of the lunar surface that have never been seen by humans, along with surveys to scout potential landing sites for future missions.

The Artemis II crew will experience a communication blackout for about 40 minutes starting at 6:44 PM ET as they pass behind the Moon, with contact expected to resume at 7:25 PM ET when they come back into view of Earth. Here’s a rundown of today’s key events:

* 1:56 PM ET: The crew sets a new record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth.
* 2:15 PM ET: The crew will adjust the spacecraft’s cabin for “flyby operations.”
* 2:45 PM ET: Lunar observations commence.
* 6:44 PM ET: Communication loss begins as Orion moves behind the Moon.
* 7:02 PM ET: Orion will make its closest approach to the Moon at 4,070 miles.
* 7:07 PM ET: Orion reaches its maximum distance from Earth at 252,757 miles.
* 7:25 PM ET: Communications with Earth are expected to resume as Orion reemerges from behind the Moon.
* 8:25–9:32 PM ET: The crew will witness a solar eclipse as the Sun passes behind the Moon from their perspective.
* 9:20 PM ET: Lunar observations wrap up.

In addition to the advanced Orion Artemis II Optical Communications System for transmitting science and crew data back to Earth, traditional radio communication systems are also in play. These include the Near Space Network, which utilizes global ground stations and relay satellites, as well as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Deep Space Network, which will restore communications with mission control once Orion reemerges.

At that moment, the astronauts will attempt to recreate the iconic “Earthrise” photo taken during the Apollo 8 mission on December 24, 1968, over 57 years ago.

After a 17.5-second “outbound correction burn” that began last night just after 11 PM ET, the Artemis II mission entered the Moon’s “sphere of influence” around 12:41 AM ET this morning, making the Moon’s gravity the primary force guiding Orion’s trajectory, according to a NASA update.

Following the lunar flyby, the Orion capsule will embark on a four-day return trip to Earth, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego targeted for April 10th.