For the first time in more than five decades, astronauts will do a lunar flyby and break a record at the same time.
Update 2:49 p.m. ET, April 6: The lunar flyby has begun, CNN reported. The crew will take images of the moon from the Orion spacecraft for several hours.
Update 2 p.m. ET, April 6: Artemis II has gone farther than any other spacecraft, breaking the record set by Apollo 13, CNN reported. It happened at 1:56 p.m. ET.
It is expected to go 4,105 miles farther than Apollo 13.
Original report: The crew of the Artemis II was greeted by the song “Good Morning” and a special message from Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, which was recorded before his death last year, NASA said.
“Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the Moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up-close look at the Moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you — as you swing around the Moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars … for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be. But don’t forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you – good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth," Lovell said in the message.
"Welcome to my old neighborhood." Our @NASAArtemis II astronauts woke up on the sixth day of their mission to a special message recorded in 2025 by astronaut Jim Lovell, the pilot of Apollo 8. pic.twitter.com/XA4Dc2yQm5
— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026
April 6 will be one for the space record books as the Artemis II goes further than any other spacecraft, surpassing Lovell’s Apollo 13 in April 1970.
NASA said by 1:56 p.m. ET, the Artemis II will go past Apollo 13’s maximum distance of 248,655 miles during its emergency return to Earth. At about 7:07 p.m. ET, the Orion spacecraft will have traveled 252,760 miles from Earth, or its maximum distance, NASA said.
The lunar observation will start at about 2:45 p.m. ET and will last about seven hours. The last time a lunar flyby occurred was during Apollo 17 in 1972.
The flyby will be streamed, so those who want to see the moon and the historic mission.
Cameras are mounted outside of the Orion solar arrays and there will be a communications blackout once the spacecraft is on the dark side of the moon.
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