Houston, we have a new record.
On Saturday, November 26, at 8:40 a.m. ET, the Orion spacecraft broke the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth of a human-rated spacecraft.
The record was previously held by Apollo 13 at 248,655 statute miles from Earth.
NASA said on Monday, Nov. 28, Orion will reach its maximum distance from Earth at approximately 272,514.9 miles.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System.
Photo: @NASA – The NASA Orion Spacecraft stands out against the blackness of space. It shines bright with colors of white, silver, and blue with a large red NASA logo in the middle. A glimpse of Earth can be seen in the distance with faint white and blue swirls.
