Source: Fortune.com
Summary
NASA’s Artemis II mission has set a record for the farthest humans from Earth during a lunar flyby, with the four astronauts surpassing the distance record of 248,655 miles set by Apollo 13 in 1970. The crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, is on a six-hour flyby of the moon, with a closest approach of 4,070 miles. The mission is a step towards landing boot prints near the moon’s south pole in 2028. The astronauts have been studying lunar geography and will conduct intense lunar observations, including taking thousands of pictures. The mission is also testing the Orion capsule’s systems and performance.
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The Artemis II astronauts broke the distance record set by Apollo 13, with a closest approach of 4,070 miles to the moon. The crew spent years studying lunar geography to prepare for the mission. The Orion capsule is using the same maneuver as Apollo 13, a free-return lunar trajectory, to reduce fuel consumption. The astronauts will conduct intense lunar observations, including taking thousands of pictures.
The mission is a test run for the next steps in NASA’s Artemis program, including a moon landing by two astronauts near the moon’s south pole in 2028.
The astronauts’ emotional response to the mission, including tears and words of inspiration, reveals the human side of space exploration.
