Jeremy Hansen makes history on Artemis II as crew breaks Apollo 13 distance record

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published April 7, 2026

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Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made history as part of the Artemis II crew after NASA’s Orion spacecraft surpassed the Apollo 13 record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth on Monday, April 6, 2026. NASA said the crew passed the previous mark at 248,655 miles from Earth before reaching a maximum distance of about 252,756 miles, setting a new record for human spaceflight.

The mission carries particular significance for Canada. The Canadian Space Agency says Hansen is the first Canadian astronaut to take part in a lunar mission, while NASA and the CSA identify him as the first non-American on a crewed mission around the Moon. The crew also includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch.

Artemis II launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1 on an approximately 10-day crewed test flight around the Moon and back. After departing Earth orbit, Orion continued toward the Moon, later completed its lunar observation phase, and began the trip home, with splashdown scheduled for the evening of April 10 off the coast of San Diego.

During the lunar flyby, Orion came within about 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface. The crew also witnessed rare moments including Earthrise and a solar eclipse, both of which formed part of the mission’s observation and data-gathering goals. Artemis II is the first crewed mission of the Artemis program and is designed to test systems and operations for future lunar exploration.