It's time for Artemis II to break Apollo 13's distance record. What to know about the moon flyby

It's time for Artemis II to break Apollo 13's distance record. What to know about the moon flyby The Artemis II astronauts are already the champions of a fresh new era of lunar exploration By MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer April 5, 2026, 8:01 AM HOUSTON -- The Artemis II astronauts are already the champions of a fresh new era of lunar exploration . Now it’s time to set a new distance record. Launched last week on humanity’s first trip to the moon since 1972, the three Americans and one Canadian are chasing after Apollo 13’s maximum range from Earth . That will make them our planet’s farthest emissaries as they swing around the moon without stopping on Monday and then hightail it back home. Their roughly six-hour lunar flyby promises views of the moon’s far side that were too dark or too difficult to see by the 24 Apollo astronauts who preceded them. A total solar eclipse also awaits them as the moon blocks the sun, exposing snippets of shimmering corona. “We’ll get eyes on the moon, kind of map it out and then continue to go back in force,” said flight director Judd Frieling. The goal is a moon base replete with landers, rovers, drones and habitats. A look at Artemis II's up-close and personal brush with another world — our constant companion, the moon. Apollo 13’s astronauts missed out on a moon landing when one of their oxygen tanks ruptured on the way there in 1970. With the three lives in jeopardy, Mission Control pivoted to a free-return lunar trajectory to get them home as fast and efficiently as possible. This routing relies on the gravity of Earth and the moon, and minimal fuel. It worked for Apollo 13, turning it into NASA’s greatest “successful failure.” (For the record, flight director Gene Kranz never uttered “Failure is not an option.” The line is pure Hollywood, originating with the 1995 biopic starring Tom Hanks.) Commander Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert reached a maximum 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) from Earth before making their life...