NASA’s Artemis II crew has begun its return to Earth after completing a historic flyby of the Moon, setting a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen reached 252,756 miles from Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft—surpassing all previous human spaceflight distances.

During the six-hour lunar flyby, the spacecraft passed behind the Moon, causing a planned communications blackout known as “loss of signal.” For about 40 minutes, the crew operated independently without contact from Mission Control, relying entirely on onboard systems.

Contact was restored as Orion reemerged from the Moon’s far side, marking the successful completion of one of the mission’s most critical phases. The astronauts also became the first humans in over 50 years to view the Moon’s far side directly, describing unique patterns and unexpected colours across its surface.

Officials at NASA praised the milestone, calling it a major step in renewed human exploration beyond Earth. The crew is now on a four-day journey back, with a Pacific Ocean splashdown expected soon.

The mission is being seen as a key moment in space exploration, signaling a return to deep-space travel and paving the way for future missions to the Moon and beyond.