Artemis II Crew Enters Lunar Sphere of Influence to Break Apollo 13 Deep Space Record

Artemis II enters the Moon's gravity on Flight Day 6, set to break the Apollo 13 distance record and perform a historic lunar flyby 4,070 miles above the surface.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 6, 2026, 1:34 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from NASA

Entering the Lunar Sphere of Influence

At 12:37 a.m. EDT on April 6, 2026, the Orion spacecraft and its four-person crew officially entered the lunar sphere of influence. This milestone marks the point in the mission where the Moon’s gravitational pull becomes stronger than that of the Earth. Mission Specialist Christina Koch noted the transition, stating that the spacecraft was now "falling to the Moon" rather than moving away from Earth. The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is now positioned for the mission's closest lunar approach.

A Final Message from an Apollo Legend

Upon waking just 18,830 miles from the lunar surface, the crew received a pre-recorded message from the late Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell, who passed away in 2025. Lovell, a veteran of both Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, welcomed the crew to his "old neighborhood" and formally passed the torch to the Artemis generation. He encouraged the astronauts to enjoy the view as they lay the groundwork for future Mars exploration. The crew began their day to the sounds of “Good Morning” by Mandisa and TobyMac as they prepared for the most intensive science phase of the mission.

Breaking the Apollo 13 Distance Record

A pivotal moment is scheduled for 1:56 p.m. EDT, when the Artemis II crew is expected to break the record for the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans. The previous mark of 248,655 miles was set by the Apollo 13 crew during their 1970 emergency return. Artemis II will push this boundary further, reaching a maximum distance of 252,760 miles from the home planet at approximately 7:07 p.m. This achievement signifies the deepest into space any human has traveled in over half a century.