Astronauts set distance record, revealing the Moon as a place to be explored

NASA’s Artemis II flew a lunar flyby and the Orion spacecraft looped behind the Moon on Monday.

The crew reached closest approach at 4,067 miles (6,545 km) and then set a human spaceflight distance record at 252,756 miles (406,771 km).

Communications with mission control were lost for about 40 minutes while Orion was behind the Moon before contact was restored.

The four astronauts had trained in geology and photography and documented the Moon, including observations made during an eclipse and Earthshine.