Artemis II breaks distance records

The Orion spacecraft reached a record-breaking distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, providing the crew with unprecedented views of the lunar surface and a total solar eclipse.

During the mission, the astronauts experienced a planned 40-minute communications blackout while passing behind the moon's shadowed hemisphere.

Following their re-emergence, the crew shared emotional messages with mission control and received a congratulatory call from President Trump.

The mission serves as a vital precursor to NASA's goal of establishing a long-term human presence on the lunar surface.