NASA Artemis Moonshot

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.

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Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record with daring moon flyby that included a solar eclipse

Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record with daring moon flyby that included a solar eclipse

The Artemis II astronauts have completed their record-breaking trip around the moon. Monday’s lunar journey comes after Artemis II surpassed Apollo 13’s distance record. During the flyby, the three Americans and one Canadian were treated to never-before-seen views of the moon’s far side by eye and also a solar eclipse. The crew temporarily lost contact with Mission Control as they swung behind the moon without stopping. They’re now on a path back toward Earth with a splashdown return set for Friday. More activities are planned before then including a phone call with the International Space Station.