The nearly 10-day mission marks the first crewed test flight of NASA's Artemis program.

NASA Artemis II Crew Set to Surpass Apollo 13, Become Farthest-Flying Humans from Earth

NASA’s Artemis II crew is set to become the farthest-flying humans in history, entering the Moon’s gravitational sphere of influence early Monday. The Orion capsule, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will reach a distance of roughly 252,757 miles from Earth on Tuesday, surpassing the 56-year-old Apollo 13 record by 4,102 miles.

The nearly 10-day mission marks the first crewed test flight of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2028 and establish a long-term U.S. presence on the Moon. The program also lays groundwork for future exploration beyond the Moon.

During the lunar flyby, the crew will pass over the Moon’s far side, entering a period of darkness and brief communication blackouts as the Moon blocks NASA’s Deep Space Network. The flyby will last about six hours, starting Monday afternoon ET.

Astronauts will use professional cameras to photograph the silhouetted Moon, capturing sunlight around its edges in a rare view similar to a lunar eclipse. They will also photograph Earth rising from the lunar horizon while the capsule passes the far side.

A team of lunar scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will record observations as the crew describes lunar phenomena in real time.