NASA’s latest Moon mission broke a space record that stood for over 50 years. The Artemis II spacecraft traveled farther from Earth than any crewed mission in history, beating astronaut Fred Haise’s record from the famous Apollo 13 mission.
The record wasn’t planned – it just happened because the Moon was sitting farther away from Earth when Artemis II flew by. But breaking a record held since 1970 shows how NASA is pushing deeper into space again.
The Astronaut Who Lost His Record Doesn’t Mind
Fred Haise, now 90 years old, was part of the Apollo 13 crew that had to swing around the Moon in 1970 after their spacecraft nearly exploded. That emergency trip took them farther from home than humans had ever traveled. Haise says losing the record “wasn’t a big deal” and he’s happy to pass it on to the new generation of space explorers.
Artemis II carried four astronauts around the Moon without landing, testing all the systems NASA will use to put people back on the lunar surface. The mission lasted 10 days and proved the new spacecraft can keep humans safe on the long journey to deep space.
What’s Next
NASA plans to land astronauts on the Moon with Artemis III, possibly in 2026. After that, the agency wants to build a permanent Moon base and eventually send people to Mars. Each mission will likely push humans farther into space than ever before.
