WASHINGTON: The Artemis II mission successfully completed a landmark seven-hour journey around the Moon, signalling humanity’s return to lunar exploration for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972. During the flyby, astronauts captured detailed images of the Moon’s far side, offering fresh insights into its surface.
Following the observation phase, the crew received congratulations from President Donald J. Trump during a live NASA broadcast. They also held a conversation with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and responded to questions submitted via social media platforms.
The historic sequence began at 1:56 p.m. EDT, when NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, traveled farther from Earth than any humans before them. They surpassed the previous record set by Apollo 13, which reached 248,655 miles.
As Orion passed behind the Moon, communication with Earth was briefly lost for about 40 minutes. During this period, the spacecraft made its closest approach at approximately 7:00 p.m., coming within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface. Shortly afterward, the crew reached a peak distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, establishing a new milestone in human spaceflight.
While orbiting the Moon’s far side, the astronauts documented various geological features, including craters, ancient lava plains, and fractures formed over billions of years. They also observed variations in color and brightness, helping scientists better understand the Moon’s composition and evolution. One of the most striking moments of the journey was witnessing both an “Earthset,” as Earth disappeared beyond the lunar horizon, and an “Earthrise” as it came back into view. (Agencies)
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