Artemis II Breaks Fred Haise’s Distance Record, He’s Happy to Pass the Torch

As the Artemis II crew completes its historic circumlunar journey and NASA gears up for a return to the lunar surface in the coming years, we stand on the cusp of an era where the memory of walking on the Moon will no longer belong solely to the past.

Only five Apollo astronauts who actually flew to the Moon are still alive today, all in their 90s. From 1968 through 1972, a total of 24 people made the trip to lunar orbit, and 12 of those set foot on the surface. While we will have to wait a bit longer for the next Moonwalker, the roster of lunar explorers has just grown by four names.

The Artemis II astronauts, each in their 40s or 50s, flew within roughly 4,000 miles of the Moon’s surface. That altitude is higher than the Apollo lunar missions reached. But the bigger milestone is distance from home. The four-member crew set a new record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth: 252,756 miles, or 406,771 kilometers.

That mark previously belonged to Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, who along with Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert swung around the far side of the Moon during their harrowing 1970 mission. Haise, now 92, said he is more than happy to see the record pass to a new generation. “It’s about time,” he told reporters. “That record has been lonely for too long.” He added that the Artemis II crew represents “the future we always dreamed of” and expressed hope that they will soon be followed by boots on the ground.