Artemis II crew breaks Apollo 13 record for farthest humans from Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (WINK) — Artemis II reached a historic milestone as the spacecraft circled the moon and set the record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth.

The crew's day began with a special wake-up message from Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, recorded before his death last year. Lovell welcomed the Artemis II astronauts to his "old neighborhood."

"Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the Moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity's first up-close look at the Moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world," Lovell said.

After waking up, the crew had to check the toilet again. After a few tests, it flushed properly and is working.

Artemis II passed Apollo 13's distance from Earth record by about 4,000 miles. The spacecraft and crew at Houston Mission Control have been busy with various tasks throughout the mission.

Victor Glover took manual control to test Orion's maneuverability in space, and all systems checked out. The crew documented the lunar surface and managed life support systems. Medical drills were also on the schedule.

The astronauts captured photographs of the moon, including parts that have never been seen by humans before.

A 40-minute communications blackout occurred when Orion reached its furthest point from Earth. The mission is going well, and WINK News will continue to provide updates on the crew's progress.