Artemis II is NASA’s first astronaut moonshot since Apollo 17 in 1972. It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, which will see another Orion crew practice docking with lunar landers in orbit around Earth. The culminating moon landing by two astronauts near the moon’s south pole will follow on Artemis IV in 2028.

The Artemis II crew is now just 13,000 miles away from the moon, and about half an hour from surpassing the record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. That record, 248,655 miles, was set by Apollo 13 in 1970, according to NASA.

The Artemis II crew has traveled farther from Earth than ever before. How to see new moon photos, watch lunar flyby today. See schedule for moon mission

The world has tracked the journey of NASA’s Artemis II mission for five days. The four astronauts have launched into space, tested life support and other important systems of their Orion spacecraft, tangled with the vehicle’s toilet,

Moments after the Artemis II crew surpassed the Apollo 13 mission milestone – traveling farther from Earth in space than any humans in his – there was a touching moment in the Orion spacecraft.

The astronauts on Artemis II will observe parts of the moon rarely seen by human eyes. A NASA planetary scientist said it will offer a vital perspective for lunar research.