At 12:56 p.m. CDT on Monday, the crew crossed 248,655 miles from Earth, overtaking the record set during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970, according to a press release issued by NASA, as per reports from The Hindustan Times.
The spacecraft is expected to reach a maximum distance of about 252,756 miles before turning back towards Earth, setting a new high for human spaceflight.
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What lies ahead?
The mission, which is NASA’s first crewed flight under the Artemis program, is now six days into its journey.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are onboard for this mission, according to The Hindustan Times.
As the spacecraft moves farther from Earth, the crew has reportedly been documenting the Moon, capturing images and collecting data that will support future missions.
Record-breaking journey to the Moon
The astronauts reportedly launched on April 1 from Kennedy Space Centre aboard NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, travelling in the Orion spacecraft. After breaking free of Earth’s orbit, the spacecraft set its course toward the Moon.
During the lunar flyby, the spacecraft is expected to come within about 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface. The astronauts are expected to view parts of the Moon’s far side directly and witness a solar eclipse as the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
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Reports indicate that a scheduled communication blackout, lasting roughly 40 minutes, is anticipated. This will occur when the Moon obscures the signals travelling between the spacecraft and Earth.
The Orion spacecraft is expected to begin its return journey toward Earth following the lunar flyby.
The mission is expected to conclude with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near California after roughly 10 days in space.
