Artemis 2 and Tiangong astronauts set record for farthest distance between humans

On April 6, Artemis 2's Orion capsule Integrity was, for a short time, farther from the three crewmembers aboard China's Tiangong space station than any other humans, reaching about 260,754 miles (419,643 km); the previous record dated to Apollo 13 in April 1970.

Artemis 2 briefly extended the record for how far apart people have been in space. On April 6, the Orion capsule Integrity passed behind the far side of the Moon while three crew members were aboard China's Tiangong space station. Astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell calculated distances between Integrity, Tiangong and the International Space Station and shared the results on X. The occasion is being noted because it surpassed the long-standing distance set during Apollo 13 in 1970. Key details: - Date: April 6, during Artemis 2's far-side lunar pass. - Measured Integrity-to-Tiangong maximum distance: 260,754 miles (419,643 kilometers), per Jonathan McDowell's calculations. - Measured Integrity-to-ISS maximum distance: 260,715.5 miles (419,581 kilometers), according to McDowell's posts. - The previous human-separation record comes from the Apollo 13 mission in April 1970. - McDowell noted the calculation on X and said NASA's Johnson Space Center may be interested in verifying the numbers. Summary: The measurement briefly extended the human-separation record and highlights how crewed lunar missions intersect with orbital platforms. NASA verification of the calculation was mentioned by McDowell; Undetermined at this time.