It's time for Artemis II to break Apollo 13's distance record. What to know about the moon flyby - AP News

The Artemis II astronauts are already the champions of a fresh new era of lunar exploration. Now it's record-breaking time. The three Americans and one Canadian are chasing after Apollo 13's distance record from Earth. They'll shatter that 56-year-old record on Monday and become our planet's farthest emissaries. Launched on April 1 on humanity's first trip to the moon since 1972, the astronauts will swing around the moon in their Orion capsule without stopping and then hightail it back home. Their lunar flyby will last roughly six hours.

It’s time for Artemis II to break Apollo 13’s distance record. What to know about the moon flyby

With the moon looming ever larger, the Artemis II astronauts raced to set a new distance record Monday from Earth on a lunar fly-around promising magnificent views of the far side never seen before by eye.

This image provided by NASA shows the moon from a photo taken by The Artemis II crew on day 4 of their journey to the Moon on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This image provided by NASA, astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This image provided by NASA, astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft’s main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This image provided by NASA, astronaut Christina Koch is illuminated by a screen inside the darkened Orion spacecraft on the third day of the agency’s Artemis II mission on Friday, April 3, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This image provided by NASA shows a view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from of the Orion spacecraft’s window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. (NASA via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — The Artemis II astronauts are already the champions of a fresh new era of lunar exploration. Now it’s time to set a new distance record.

Launched last week on humanity’s first trip to the moon since 1972, the three Americans and one Canadian are chasing after Apollo 13’s maximum range from Earth. That will make them our planet’s farthest emissaries as they swing around the moon without stopping on Monday and then hightail it back home.

Their roughly six-hour lunar flyby promises views of the moon’s far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them. A total solar eclipse also awaits them as the moon blocks the sun, exposing snippets of shimmering corona.

“We’ll get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force,” said flight director Judd Frieling. The goal is a moon base replete with landers, rovers, drones and habitats.

A look at Artemis II’s up-close and personal brush with another world — our constant companion, the moon.

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