In a historic leap for mankind, the four astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission have officially broken the record for the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth. On Monday at 3:58 PM GMT, the Orion spacecraft reached a staggering 4,06,771 kilometers (252,756 miles) from Earth, surpassing the legendary Apollo 13 record set in 1970.

During this milestone, the crew experienced a tense 40-minute communication blackout while passing behind the far side of the Moon. Once reconnected, U.S. President Donald Trump personally congratulated the crew. Commander Reid Wiseman described the experience as “beyond words,” stating that the human brain can barely process the surreal vistas they witnessed.

Astronaut Victor Glover shared his awe of seeing the Sun’s corona and the brilliant Earthlight reflecting off the lunar horizon, calling it “unbelievable.” President Trump hailed the mission as a “special moment in human history” and invited the team to the White House upon their successful splashdown. This mission marks a pivotal step toward landing humans on the lunar surface once again and eventually reaching Mars.