The NASA-led Artemis II mission is marking a historic milestone as four astronauts conduct a seven-hour flyby of the moon, traveling farther into space than any humans have before. The flyby operations are scheduled to begin at 2:45 PM ET and conclude at 9:20 PM ET on the same day (full date not specified in the official report), representing a key phase of the mission.

The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Together, they are venturing beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, continuing humanity’s return to deep space exploration under the Artemis program.

During the flyby, the astronauts are observing the lunar surface, with particular focus on the moon’s far side, a region never directly seen by human eyes. Although the mission does not involve a landing, it is designed to test critical systems and gather data essential for future crewed lunar landings.

Launched on April 1, the Artemis II mission has already achieved several objectives while offering the crew unprecedented views of Earth and space. Despite encountering minor onboard challenges, including technical issues with onboard facilities, the mission has proceeded as planned.

This journey surpasses the distance record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, establishing a new benchmark in human spaceflight. The Artemis II mission is a major step forward in NASA’s long-term strategy to return humans to the moon and eventually prepare for missions to Mars.

As the crew completes its lunar flyby, the mission stands as a defining moment in modern space exploration, demonstrating both technological progress and renewed ambition in human space travel.