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Blackouts, broken records and a message from the past: five key moments from Artemis II’s lunar flyby
Crew of Orion capsule spent emotional day documenting surface of moon – and paying homage to astronauts who paved the way
TL;DR
- Artemis II crew broke the 56-year-old distance record set by Apollo 13, traveling 406,778km from Earth.
- The crew documented the lunar surface for over six hours, capturing images of craters and peaks, and even used iPhones for impromptu shots.
- The capsule experienced a 40-minute communications blackout while passing the far side of the moon, its closest approach.
- The astronauts received a wake-up message recorded by Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell and carried an Apollo 8 silk patch.
- The crew proposed naming two lunar craters 'Integrity' (the capsule's name) and 'Carroll' in honor of Reid Wiseman's late wife.