Artemis II Crew Returns Home After Reaching Farthest Distance Humans Have Traveled

After sweeping farther from Earth than any human in history, the four astronauts on NASA’s first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years have re-established contact and begun the journey home.

Mission control in Houston restored communications with the crew after a roughly 40-minute blackout as their spacecraft moved behind the Moon, cutting off signal during the pass behind Earth’s natural satellite.

“It is so great to hear from Earth again,” Mission Specialist Christina Koch said as the astronauts were able to speak once more with people on the ground.

“We will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other.”

The milestone quickly became one of the mission’s defining moments.

On the shoulders of giants…

The Artemis II crew aboard Integrity have officially traveled farther into space than any humans before, passing the record set during Apollo. Our live coverage continues:

— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026

Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen said the achievement was meant “to challenge this generation and the next, to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

The lunar flyby observation window wrapped up at about 2.20am Irish time, during which the astronauts also watched a solar eclipse, with the Moon blocking the Sun from view.

The Orion spacecraft is due to leave the lunar sphere of influence and continue its return to Earth at around 6.25pm today.

‘Like a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes’

Over more than six hours, the crew observed and documented the lunar surface, offering a human view of terrain most people know only through images captured by robotic missions.

Mission pilot Victor Glover described the “terminator” — the dividing line between lunar night and day.

“Wow – I wish I had some more time to just sit here and describe what I’m seeing,” he said, before sketching a vivid scene for scientists listening from Earth.

“But the terminator right now is just fantastic. It is the most rugged that I’ve seen it from a lighting perspective.”

Kelsey Young, lead scientist for Artemis II, answered with obvious excitement.

“Oh my gosh, that was an amazing picture you just painted,” she said.

“Those types of observations are things that humans are uniquely able to contribute, and you just really brought us along with you.”

Watch: Artemis crew re-emerges from communications blackout

Koch, meanwhile, gave her own striking description of the Moon’s craters.

“What it really looks like is like a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes and the light shining through,” she said. “They are so bright compared to the rest of the Moon.”

Moon memorials

The Orion capsule looped around the Moon before making a U-turn and setting off for Earth on what is known as a “free-return trajectory”, a path home expected to take about four days.

The historic mission, commanded by Reid Wiseman, also carries a series of firsts for the Artemis II crew.

Glover is the first person of colour to fly around the Moon, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American to do so.

Amid the previous day’s celestial work, the crew shared a deeply personal moment shortly after surpassing the distance record by proposing names for two craters that have not previously been named.

The first, they said, should honour the nickname of their spacecraft, Integrity.

For the second crater, they proposed the name ‘Carroll’, asking that it commemorate the late wife of Commander Wiseman, who died of cancer.

“It’s a bright spot on the Moon,” Col Hansen said, his voice cracking with emotion. “And we would like to call it Carroll.”

The astronauts hugged as mission control in Houston observed a moment of silence.

NASA said it would formally submit the proposed names to the International Astronomical Union, the organisation responsible for naming celestial bodies and features on their surfaces.