Artemis II just set a new distance-from-Earth record

Axios
by Alex Fitzpatrick
April 6, 2026
4 views
1 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Artemis II astronauts set a new distance-from-Earth record, surpassing Apollo 13's 248,655-mile record.

AI Summary

Artemis II's four astronauts set a new distance-from-Earth record for human spaceflight on Monday. They surpassed Apollo 13's 248,655-mile record, which was established over 55 years ago. The crew is expected to reach a maximum distance of 252,760 miles just after 7 p.m. ET tonight. This afternoon, they will begin a seven-hour lunar orbit and observation period. Later, the crew will experience a 40-minute radio blackout on the dark side of the Moon and witness a solar eclipse.

Source Coverage Map

24 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

56% coverage
Did Not Cover (19)
ICIJ97AP World News96ProPublica95Bellingcat95Reuters Investigates94+14 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Other Sources Covering This Story

5 sources

Multiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.

Story Tracker

This article is part of a story we're tracking:

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby and Distance Record

The Artemis II crew is on a historic mission to orbit the Moon, aiming to take humans farther from Earth than ever before. The mission involves a lunar flyby, with the crew preparing for crucial maneuvers and sharing stunning views from space.

Artemis II Crew Sets New Distance Record During Lunar Flyby

The four-person crew of the Artemis II mission successfully completed a lunar flyby, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. This mission marks a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission Breaks Distance Record

The Artemis II crew has broken the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing the Apollo 13 record. The mission involves a historic loop around the Moon, marking a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby and Distance Records

The Artemis II mission is making headlines as its crew embarks on a historic lunar flyby, breaking distance records for human spaceflight. The mission aims to observe parts of the moon rarely seen and is a significant step in NASA's deep space exploration efforts.

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Flyby and Distance Record

The Artemis II crew has successfully broken the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing Apollo 13's record. The mission involves a historic lunar flyby, looping around the far side of the Moon as a critical step towards future lunar landings.

Artemis II Mission: Record-Breaking Lunar Flyby

The Artemis II crew has successfully completed a historic lunar flyby, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. The mission included a planned communications blackout as the crew looped around the far side of the moon.

Artemis II Mission Breaks Space Distance Records

The Artemis II crew successfully completed a mission that included a planned communications blackout and a loop around the far side of the moon. During this mission, the four-astronaut crew broke the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, surpassing the Apollo 13 record.

Artemis II Mission Breaks Distance Record

The Artemis II mission is nearing its conclusion, with the four-person crew breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth. The astronauts are preparing for splashdown after a successful journey around the Moon, despite a brief loss of contact with Earth.

Artemis II Mission: Lunar Orbit and Records

The Artemis II crew successfully completed its mission to loop around the far side of the moon, breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. Despite a brief communications blackout, the mission provided new observations and honored a fallen loved one.

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Exclusive: Record funding for fusion power lands as Trump eyes cuts
Technology

Exclusive: Record funding for fusion power lands as Trump eyes cuts

<p>A key government agency will announce on Wednesday a record amount of funding for fusion energy — tapping the power of the stars — even as President Trump seeks to cut other parts of the federal fusion budget.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The split-screen approach underscores tensions in the administration's energy strategy — and highlights how federal support is falling short of what the fusion industry says it needs.</p><hr><p><strong>Driving the news</strong>: The Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (known as ARPA-E) will commit $135 million over the next 18 months to accelerate the development of fusion energy technologies, according to details shared with Axios.</p><ul><li>The funding — the largest single fusion investment in the agency's history — will focus on tackling technical barriers that have kept fusion from reaching commercial scale.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture</strong>: Fusion is still early in its development, and federal govern...

AxiosApr 8
DOJ says Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional
Government Transparency

DOJ says Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional

The opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel said that because it believes the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional, President Trump does not need to comply with it.

CBS NewsApr 2
DOJ concludes presidential records requirement unconstitutional
Government Transparency

DOJ concludes presidential records requirement unconstitutional

A federal law requiring presidents to preserve and hand over presidential records to the government at the conclusion of their term is unconstitutional, according to a legally nonbinding Justice Department opinion.   The 52-page opinion, first reported by Axios, found that the Presidential Records Act of 1978 exceeds congressional authority and “unconstitutionally intrudes on the…

The HillApr 2
US trade deficit widens in February as imports offset record exports - Reuters
Finance

US trade deficit widens in February as imports offset record exports - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxOUXgwd1FiVHFGMHZsZHZPMmVUeW44MzVtRHBpVTVEc3JUTUhVQkV6Q1JFNnBHNkpIQWs0M0J1Vl9iNE5QM0JVYzd2ZnktOEpYcWFFeGtfUUNtWF9XRVJDTTlLaEdnYm1COVZ5d0xmYUJBbk5zbEh4Y2hodXZLQW1qTTFBOC1EbTJoS25rTmlESHVxLWFmckdpQ2ptX0tLaTktY184SVB3c2kwSFE?oc=5" target="_blank">US trade deficit widens in February as imports offset record exports</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

ReutersApr 2
Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone - AP News
Government Transparency

Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxNNzR6cDBQd0MtQTVmN2hfNDFOZG1OQnhFZFRIaTlVd0NpRmNNdUZETUc3TkRIUEVDNGQ1X1o0d0JKT2puQVJ4UDBTRWpFbGxOb0oxTXRLRC04UDdPVzlzY1J4RzlCNngxRmhZMGZOa1I2WjBkc05vNlhiU2tZekNteWc5X01jdXI4azZwREMzT3FfVWdwMnBVVlhsOXBhbWozWUJzRkpwcno?oc=5" target="_blank">Eulogy for the CIA Factbook: The free standard for world facts, long an educational staple, is gone</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsApr 5
Record high ocean temperatures off southern California raise fears of prolonged marine heatwave
Environment

Record high ocean temperatures off southern California raise fears of prolonged marine heatwave

<p>Researchers warn the high-pressure conditions could disrupt marine life and ecosystems if it continues</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>For more than a century, shoreline stations operated by the <a href="https://shorestations.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a> have measured water temperatures along the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/california">California</a> coast. This year, they are flashing a warning sign.</p><p>Over the last three months, several stations have repeatedly posted record-breaking daily high temperatures – with the <a href="https://shorestations.ucsd.edu/about/scripps-pier/">La Jolla ...

The Guardian US NewsApr 4
Read Next
Family of man killed in shooting at Florida State University to sue ChatGPT and OpenAI
Technology

Family of man killed in shooting at Florida State University to sue ChatGPT and OpenAI

<p>Lawyers for Robert Morales’s family said chatbot ‘may have advised the shooter’ on how to carry out shooting</p><p>The family of a man who was killed at Florida State University last year plans to sue ChatGPT and its parent organization, OpenAI, for allegedly telling the accused gunman how to carry out the mass shooting.</p><p>Lawyers for the family of Robert Morales <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrooksLeBoeuf/">wrote in a statement</a> they had learned the shooter was in “constant communication with ChatGPT” ahead of the shooting, and that the chatbot “may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/08/florida-state-university-shooting-robert-morales-family-sue-chatgpt-openai">Continue reading...</a>

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources