Artemis II crew in tears after breaking Apollo 13 record by travelling 248,655 miles from Earth

TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Their journey represents a pivotal moment in the nearly ten-day mission, which serves as the inaugural crewed test flight for Nasa's ambitious Artemis programme. The crew entered the moon's gravitational sphere of influence on Sunday. The crew began their sixth day in space with a poignant tribute from the past. At approximately 3.50pm, the astronauts woke to a recorded message from the late Jim Lovell, the legendary Apollo 8 and 13 astronaut who passed away last year aged 97.Welcome to my old neighborhood, Mr Lovell said in the recording. It's a historic day, and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view... good luck and godspeed.The message carried particular significance given that Mr Lovell himself had held the previous distance record for 56 years.Following their record-breaking distance, the astronauts were set to pass over the moon's shadowed far side, observing it from approximately 4,000 miles above the darkened terrain. During this passage, the Earth will appear roughly the size of a basketball in the distant background, eclipsed by the lunar surface.The flyby is expected to last around six hours and will temporarily cut off communications with mission control. The moon will block signals to Nasa's Deep Space Network, the global system of radio antennas used to maintain contact with the crew.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE ARTEMIS II MISSIONNasa declares 'we're back in the business' as Artemis II now racing towards the MoonArtemis II crew shares chilling photo from space as capsule prepares to shoot around dark side of the MoonArtemis II astronauts soar past halfway point as crew hail 'most spectacular moment’Throughout this period, the astronauts will capture detailed photographs of the lunar surface using professional cameras, documenting the rare sight of sunlight filtering around the Moon's edges.They will also have the opportunity to witness their home planet setting and rising against the lunar horizon—an extraordinary reversal of the moonrise familiar to those on Earth.The Artemis II mission forms part of Nasa's multibillion-dollar programme designed to return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2028, ahead of China's own lunar ambitions. Beyond this initial goal, the agency intends to establish a permanent American presence on the Moon over the coming decade.Plans include constructing a lunar base that would function as a testing ground for eventual expeditions to Mars. The current mission represents the first crewed test flight within this broader Artemis initiative.Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasised on Sunday that gathering observations and data remains the primary objective at this stage. We want to gather as much data as we possibly can for that, he said. Learning as much as we can about Orion is critically important, because Artemis III is a year away.The mission launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, marking the first piloted lunar voyage since the Apollo programme concluded over five decades ago. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter