Washington: In a historic breakthrough for space exploration, astronauts aboard the Artemis II have successfully traveled around the far side of the Moon—achieving a feat not seen in over five decades. The mission marks the first time since 1972 that humans have entered the Moon’s gravitational sphere and witnessed its hidden side.
The crew, traveling in the Orion spacecraft, also set a new record as the farthest-traveling humans from Earth, reaching a staggering distance of 406,771 kilometers. This surpasses the milestone set by the Apollo 13 crew by more than 6,600 kilometers.
Orion made its closest approach to the Moon at 4:32 AM (IST), after which astronaut Christina Koch sent the first message back to Earth. As the spacecraft moved behind the Moon, communication was temporarily lost for about 40 minutes, offering the crew a rare and stunning view of lunar sunrise and sunset from the far side.
A key maneuver, known as the outbound correction burn, ensured the spacecraft’s precise entry into the Moon’s gravitational field. This marks a major milestone in NASA’s efforts to send humans deeper into space once again.
The Artemis II mission will continue its journey around the Moon before beginning its return to Earth, with the crew expected to splash down safely on the tenth day.
This achievement signals a powerful step forward in humanity’s return to lunar exploration and future missions beyond.
