The crew of Artemis II is on its way back to Earth after completing a groundbreaking journey that pushed human space travel farther than ever before.
During the mission, the astronauts reached a record distance of 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometres) from Earth while performing a lunar flyby, setting a new benchmark in space exploration.
Mission commander Reid Wiseman described the experience as extraordinary, noting that the crew witnessed views never before seen by humans. Pilot Victor Glover echoed the sentiment, saying the sights defied description.
The crew also experienced a rare total solar eclipse from their Orion spacecraft, offering a unique perspective far beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
At one stage of the mission, communication with NASA was temporarily interrupted as the spacecraft moved behind the moon, causing a planned 40-minute blackout due to signal obstruction. Contact was later restored, with mission specialist Christina Koch expressing relief at reconnecting with Earth.
The mission has drawn international attention, including praise from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who congratulated the astronauts for making history and extended an invitation for them to visit the White House.
The Artemis II crew is expected to complete their mission with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of the United States at 20:07 Eastern Time on Friday (01:07 BST Saturday).
