Orion spacecraft sets record for furthest distance travelled by humans in space
Crewed Orion capsule surpasses Apollo-era mark in historic lunar flyby
WASHINGTON: The Orion spacecraft has established a new record for the furthest distance travelled by a crewed vehicle in human history during its Artemis II mission, NASA has announced.
The four astronauts on Monday became the first humans to travel furthest from our planet, as they get set to view areas of the Moon never before seen by the naked eye.
In a live broadcast, the space agency confirmed that the vessel reached its closest approach to the Moon, marking a pivotal milestone in lunar exploration after a five-decade hiatus in human presence.
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Launched on Wednesday with four astronauts on board, the mission marks the realisation of a strategic objective pursued by the United States and the international community for 53 years.
The Artemis II team broke the previous record set by 1970's Apollo 13 mission, which they are expected to surpass by approximately 4,105 miles (6,606 kilometers) when they reach this journey's anticipated furthest distance from Earth -- 252,760 miles (406,778 kilometers).
Artemis II represents the first crewed flight to the Moon since the Apollo mission, signalling a new era in deep-space discovery.
