4 Astronauts Just Flew Farther Than Anyone in History

Four astronauts are hurtling back to Earth right now after making history as the farthest humans have ever traveled from home, flying more than a quarter-million miles beyond the Moon.

Commander Reid Wiseman described watching Earth disappear behind the Moon with wonder still fresh in his voice. "I'm actually getting chills right now just thinking about it," he told reporters Wednesday from the Orion spacecraft.

The Artemis II crew launched April 1 on humanity's first journey to the Moon since 1972. For 40 minutes during their closest approach, they lost all radio contact with Earth as they passed behind the lunar surface.

What happened next took everyone's breath away. The Moon passed directly between their spacecraft and the Sun, creating a total solar eclipse visible only to them.

"We just went sci-fi," said pilot Victor Glover as the cosmic alignment unfolded. The crew shared maple cookies from Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the first non-American to reach deep space, and took a few quiet minutes to absorb where they were.

The view of the Moon's dark side left Glover speechless. Craters appeared as "endless, bottomless pits" while peaks jutted into space at impossible heights.

Why This Inspires

This mission nearly doubled the number of living humans who have traveled to the Moon. Only five of the original 24 astronauts from the Apollo era are still alive today.

Mission specialist Christina Koch reflected on the extraordinary bond the crew has formed. "This sense of teamwork is something that you don't usually get as an adult," she said. "We are close, like brothers and sisters, and that is a privilege we will never have again."

The astronauts haven't had time to fully process their experience yet. "Human minds should not go through what these just went through, and it is a true gift," Wiseman said.

Their journey ends Friday evening when Orion splashes down in the Pacific Ocean off Southern California. The capsule will hit Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 mph before parachutes slow its descent.

This test flight paves the way for future missions that will land astronauts near the Moon's south pole and eventually build a permanent lunar base. For now, four explorers are bringing home memories and photos that will inspire generations to come.