WASHINGTON (April 7, 2026) – NASA’s Artemis II astronauts completed a record-breaking mission, traveling farther than any other humans have before, surpassing the 1970 Apollo 13 record. During this seven hour flyby, astronauts were able to enjoy views of the lunar surface never seen before with human eyes. Astronaut Jeremy Hansen took about 10,000 photos.
The astronauts also saw rings around the Orientale Basin, one of the moon’s youngest large impact craters. This is the first time humans have viewed the basin directly. The astronauts also experienced a solar eclipse and saw planets such Mars, Venus, Saturn, as well as stars. The Artemis II crew is now beginning their nearly quarter-million-mile journey back to Earth with new knowledge and data to help future space exploration.
For more analysis on these developments, please consider John Logsdon, Professor Emeritus at the GW Elliott School of International Affairs, where he was the founder and long-time director of GW’s Space Policy Institute. Logsdon's research interests focus on the policy and historical aspects of U.S. and international space activities. Logsdon is a member of the Board of Directors of the Planetary Society. In 2003, he was a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, and formerly was a member of the NASA Advisory Council.
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