The crew of the Artemis II spacecraft began its journey back to Earth late Monday after a spectacular flyby of the moon that included a trip around the dark side of the lunar surface.
For about 40 minutes beginning at 6:44 p.m. ET, the four-member crew of the Orion capsule -- Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen -- lost radio control with Mission Control, The New York Times reported.
During the blackout, the crew made its closest approach to the lunar surface, according to NASA -- 4,067 miles -- and reached the farthest distance any human has traveled from Earth at 252,756 miles.
On the shoulders of giants... 🧑🏼🚀
— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026
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:https://t.co/do2p0Gvxdu
That broke the record set in 1970 by Apollo 13; that crew ventured 248,655 miles from Earth.
After losing contact with Mission Control, crew members gathered to enjoy maple cream cookies, courtesy of Hansen, CNN reported. They enjoyed the treat to honor the “surreal moment,” Wiseman said.
The lunar flyby -- the first since Apollo 17 in 1972 -- ended after seven hours. Wiseman thanked NASA for “some great, truly human experience moments here,” CNN reported.
“We were well prepared, and we appreciate all of you, and this is what we do best when we all come together and work as a team,” Wiseman said. “So y’all knocked it out of the park. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.”
One of the many highlights of the crew’s loop around the moon was a 53-minute solar eclipse, which began at 8:35 p.m. ET on Monday, the Times reported.
“It’s like watching a flame,” Glover said, and other crew members commented that the corona during the eclipse resembled “baby hair” as the sun’s light grew more intense, according to the newspaper.
🌞🌕🧑🚀
— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026
Right now, the Orion capsule is passing behind the Moon, so the Sun is entirely eclipsed from their perspective. During this time, they will view a mostly darkened Moon and will use the opportunity to analyze the solar corona. pic.twitter.com/PWDPfZKxGh
“It is truly hard to describe,” Glover said. “It is amazing.”
Earlier, the crew called Mission Control and proposed naming a crater on the lunar surface after Wiseman’s late wife. Carroll Taylor Wiseman died in 2020, the Times reported.
The crew embraced as Mission Control held a moment of silence with the family of the mission’s capsule commander.
Other sites the crew witnessed included the landing sites for Apollo 12 and 14, The Associated Press reported. The astronauts were also able to view four planets -- Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn.
President Donald Trump spoke with the astronauts and praised their efforts, promising an invitation to the Oval Office, according to CNN.
“I’ll ask for your autograph,” the president told crew members. “Because I don’t really ask for autographs much, but you deserve that. You really are something. Everybody is talking about this, and I look forward to having you in the Oval Office at the White House, and we will celebrate your incredible achievements and trials.
“This is big. This is really big stuff. The whole world is talking about it. And if you have the time, I will certainly find the time.”
Tuesday is supposed to be a quiet day for the crew, who will be preparing for Friday’s splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
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