Astronauts aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission captured and shared breathtaking images of the Moon on Monday as they broke the record for the farthest distance from Earth in human spaceflight. The milestone, previously held by Apollo 13 at 248,655 miles, was surpassed when the Artemis II crew reached approximately 252,760 miles from Earth.

The astronauts, including NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, lifted off April 1 from Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39B in Florida. The mission is set to last roughly 10 days, featuring a lunar flyby and concluding with a splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

Images shared by the crew and highlighted by the White House show detailed views of the Moon’s near and far sides, including the lunar horizon as Earth recedes into the distance. Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, shared photos of the far side of the Moon captured from the Orion spacecraft.

President Donald Trump personally called the astronauts to congratulate them, praising their achievement as a step toward America’s permanent return to the lunar surface and eventual missions to Mars. “America is back,” he said, describing the crew as “modern-day pioneers” whose work inspires the nation and the world.

The Artemis II spacecraft is expected to travel a total of 695,081 miles during the mission and pass within 4,070 miles of the Moon at its closest approach. High-profile figures, including Elon Musk, also shared footage and updates on social media, highlighting the mission’s historic progress.

The record-setting journey not only offers new lunar imagery but also demonstrates advancements in space exploration technology and international collaboration, marking a milestone in NASA’s ongoing Artemis program.