The four astronauts carrying out NASA's first lunar flyby in more than half-a-century have renewed communications and are on their way home after travelling further from Earth than any human before.
NASA's mission control in Houston regained contact with the crew after they temporarily lost signal for around 40 minutes, as their spacecraft passed behind Earth's natural satellite.
"It is so great to hear from Earth again," said Mission Specialist Christina Koch, as the crew members were once again able to speak with people on Earth.
"We will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other."
Earlier, the Artemis II team broke the distance record set by the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, surpassing it by 6,600km when they reached the journey's anticipated furthest distance from Earth - 406,771km.
It was one of the voyage's most notable achievements yet.
On the shoulders of giants... 🧑🏼🚀
— NASA (@NASA) April 7, 2026
The Artemis II crew aboard Integrity have officially traveled farther into space than any humans before, passing the record set during Apollo. Our live coverage continues:https://t.co/do2p0Gvxdu
Canadian astronaut Colonel Jeremy Hansen said the moment was "to challenge this generation and the next, to make sure this record is not long-lived."
The lunar flyby observation period concluded around 2.20am Irish time, and included the astronauts witnessing a solar eclipse, when the Sun was behind the Moon.
Their Orion spacecraft will exit the lunar sphere of influence on its way back to Earth around 6.25pm today.
'Like a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes'
The more than six-hour task of observing and documenting the lunar surface brought human perspective to features of the Moon that we primarily know through photographs taken by robots.
Mission pilot Victor Glover detailed the "terminator" - the Moon's boundary between night and day.
"Wow - I wish I had some more time to just sit here and describe what I'm seeing," he said, before creating a vivid portrait for the scientists listening in from Earth.
"But the terminator right now is just fantastic. It is the most rugged that I've seen it from a lighting perspective."
Kelsey Young, the lead scientist for the Artemis II mission, responded with elation.
"Oh my gosh, that was an amazing picture you just painted," she said.
"Those types of observations are things that humans are uniquely able to contribute, and you just really brought us along with you."
Watch: Artemis crew re-emerges from communications blackout
Mission Specialist Koch, meanwhile, offered a colourful rendering of lunar craters.
"What it really looks like is like a lampshade with tiny pinprick holes and the light shining through," she said. "They are so bright compared to the rest of the Moon."
Moon memorials
The Orion capsule zipped around the Moon before U-turning and heading back to Earth in a so-called "free-return trajectory," a return-trip that will take about four days.
Adding to the historic nature of the mission led by Commander Reid Wiseman, the Artemis II crew includes several firsts.
Mission pilot Glover is the first person of colour to fly around the Moon, Mission Specialist Koch the first woman, and Canadian Hansen the first non-American.
Yesterday's celestial workday included a poignant moment just after the crew broke the distance record, when they proposed designating two previously unnamed craters.
The first they requested to name in honour of their spacecraft's nickname, Integrity.
They offered a second name, 'Carroll', for another crater, which they asked be named after the late wife of Commander Wiseman, who died of cancer.
"It's a bright spot on the Moon," said Col Hansen, his voice breaking with emotion. "And we would like to call it Carroll."
The astronauts embraced, and mission control in Houston held a moment of silence.
NASA said they would formally submit the name proposals to the International Astronomical Union, the body charged with naming celestial bodies and surface features.
