NASA's Orion spacecraft, as part of the Artemis II mission, has set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. On Monday, the spacecraft reached a distance of 252,752 miles (406,764.9 kilometers), surpassing the previous record of 248,655 miles set by the Apollo 13 mission in April 1970. This flight marks the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, following a figure-eight trajectory around Earth and the Moon.

The crew, consisting of U.S. astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, entered the Moon's gravitational sphere of influence and performed a flyby of its far side at approximately 7,500 kilometers. Astronauts were able to simultaneously view Earth and the Moon, as well as a solar eclipse where the Sun disappeared behind the Moon from Orion's perspective. NASA stated that this mission allowed the entire Orientale basin to be seen with human eyes for the first time.

Astronauts shared their experiences: Jeremy Hansen described the views as "unbelievable," while Christina Koch reported a brief overwhelming emotion while zooming in on the lunar landscape. Victor Glover became the first person of color to fly around the Moon, and Christina Koch the first woman. Hansen challenged current and future generations to ensure this record does not stand for long.

The mission is now in its final phase, with astronauts tasked with documenting lunar observations. Images released by NASA have revealed previously unseen features of the Moon, signaling a new phase in space exploration. The success of this flight represents a critical step in the Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon.

Source: www.dw.com