Artemis II reached a greatest distance of 252,756 miles from Earth during its 2026 lunar mission.
The four-person crew passed the previous record for the farthest distance traveled by humans, which had been set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Artemis II exceeded Apollo 13’s approximately 248,655-mile distance while flying around the far side of the Moon.
The record was possible because Artemis II used a lunar free-return trajectory. After its lunar flyby, the spacecraft’s path naturally carried it back toward Earth without requiring a major return-engine burn.
Distance records can be confused with the average distance between Earth and the Moon, commonly given as about 238,855 miles. Artemis II traveled farther because it was measured from Earth while the spacecraft was on the far side of the Moon and moving through its lunar trajectory.