Artemis II reaches deep space milestone, Canadian astronaut among crew surpassing Apollo 13 distance

Canadian Space Agency says NASA’s Artemis II mission has travelled farther into space than previous crewed missions, setting a new milestone as it passes close to the Moon.

The agency confirmed Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and three U.S. crewmates have gone beyond the distance reached during the Apollo 13 mission. It marks the first time a Canadian astronaut has travelled this far from Earth.

The Orion capsule is flying past the far side of the Moon, a region not visible from Earth. According to mission details released by NASA, the flight is designed to test systems and assess the space environment around the Moon.

Officials say the mission’s primary objective is to evaluate conditions for future human landings and validate technology needed for upcoming missions. The results are expected to inform planning for Artemis III, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface.

The four-person crew launched April 1 from Kennedy Space Center for a planned 10-day mission. During the travel, astronauts are expected to capture images of the Moon’s far side and gather data to support future exploration.