Artemis 2 Lunar Flyby Reaches Record Distance with Four Astronauts on Orion

Nasa’s Artemis 2 lunar mission hit a key milestone on Monday. Four astronauts began a long swing around the Moon. It was the first crewed trip around the Moon in over 50 years. Nasa streamed the event on its website and YouTube. Coverage also ran on Amazon and Netflix.

The near seven-hour Artemis 2 Moon flypast started at about 6:45 pm GMT. That was 12:15 am Indian Standard Time and 2:45 pm Eastern US Time. Nasa expected the pass to end around 1:20 am GMT. Viewers heard live commentary from Orion and Mission Control.

Nasa warned that the extreme range could affect video quality. The flypast was part of a broader test flight. Orion aimed to reach about 252,757 miles from Earth. That equals 406,772 kilometres. Nasa expected Artemis 2 to beat Apollo 13 by 4,102 miles. That equals 6,600 kilometres.

Event	Detail
Launch date and time	1 April, 6:35 pm EDT, from Launch Pad 39B, Kennedy Space Center
Flypast start time	6:45 pm GMT / 12:15 am IST / 2:45 pm Eastern US Time
Flypast end time	Around 1:20 am GMT
Maximum distance from Earth	About 252,757 miles / 406,772 kilometres
Record beyond Apollo 13	Approximately 4,102 miles / 6,600 kilometres farther
Communication blackout	Roughly 40 minutes behind the Moon's far side
Solar eclipse duration	About 53 minutes during alignment with Moon and Sun

During the lunar loop, Orion passed behind the Moon’s far side. That face is never visible from Earth. Moon gravity then pulled harder on Orion than Earth’s gravity. This helped the capsule slingshot into its record-setting route. Nasa said astronauts took photos and logged observations throughout.

Nasa described the lighting expected on the far side during the flyby. "Although the lunar far side will only be partially illuminated during the flyby, the conditions should create shadows that stretch across the surface, enhancing relief and revealing depth, ridges, slopes and crater rims that are often difficult to detect under full illumination," it said.

Artemis 2 Moon flypast mission background and onboard views

Artemis II lifted off on 1 April from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch was at 6:35 pm EDT from Launch Pad 39B. Orion carried four astronauts on a loop around the Moon. Only Apollo crews had flown there before, between 1968 and 1972. Artemis 2 tested systems before future landings.

The Moon appeared very large at closest approach. AFP quoted Noah Petro, who leads Nasa's planetary geology laboratory. Petro said the Moon looked "about the size of a basketball held at arm's length," to the astronauts. Later, Orion aligned with the Moon and Sun. That created a solar eclipse lasting about 53 minutes.

According to an AFP report, communications dropped for about 40 minutes. The gap happened while Orion moved behind the Moon. The spacecraft neared its furthest distance shortly before that phase. Contact returned once Orion emerged from the far side. Nasa also said the crew entered the final approach on Monday.

Sweet dreams, @NASAArtemis II crew. One last look at the Moon before flight day six and your epic lunar flyby, taking you farther into space than humans have EVER traveled. pic.twitter.com/roqklB0iGQ NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026

The Monday flypast kept Artemis 2 on its planned route around the Moon. Nasa maintained live coverage across several platforms during the pass. The mission aimed to extend human travel farther than any earlier flight. It also produced new views of the far side under partial light. Orion then continued toward deeper space after the swing.