Farthest Distance Traveled by Humans from Earth
Record Holder
Metric
Date Achieved
Location
Atlas Record ID
NASA
252,760 Miles from Earth
6 April 2026
Deep Space
02426044
Far from the warmth of Earth, where distance becomes something almost spiritual, the crew of Artemis II crossed a threshold once thought unreachable, drifting farther into the silence than any human before them. In that vast and indifferent expanse, they did not simply break a record, but momentarily untethered humanity from its own history, carrying us deeper into the unknown.
Transparent Adjudicator's Statement
Summary of Claim
The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission achieved the farthest distance ever traveled by humans from Earth. The record was surpassed when the Orion spacecraft exceeded the prior Apollo 13 benchmark at approximately 248,655 miles from Earth, and the mission continued outward to a maximum distance of about 252,760 miles from Earth before beginning its return trajectory.
Evidence Submitted
Official mission telemetry and distance data published by NASA
Public mission updates and flight logs documenting spacecraft position
Statements from NASA officials and Artemis II crew confirming milestone timing
Historical mission data from the Apollo 13 mission used for benchmark comparison
Comparative and Cross-Archive Benchmark Review
A review of historical human spaceflight records confirms that the previous maximum distance from Earth was achieved during the Apollo 13 mission, when astronauts reached approximately 248,655 miles from Earth.
No subsequent mission was found to have surpassed this distance.
Verification Methodology
Atlas conducted an independent review of primary-source institutional data, relying on NASA’s published telemetry and mission reporting. Distance measurements were validated through cross-referencing multiple official releases and aligning them with known spacecraft tracking standards maintained through the Deep Space Network.
No claimant-submitted materials were required, as the record is supported by publicly available, authoritative data.
Adjudication Findings
The Artemis II crew exceeded the Apollo 13 distance benchmark at the documented point of 248,655 miles from Earth. Continued flight data indicates a maximum distance of approximately 252,760 miles before return trajectory.
All measurements originate from NASA’s onboard navigation and tracking systems, which are recognized as the authoritative standard for spaceflight distance calculation. The identified crew members were the only human occupants contributing to the record.
Conclusion
Atlas World Records recognizes the Artemis II crew as the record holders for the farthest distance traveled by humans from Earth. This achievement establishes a new benchmark in human spaceflight and supersedes all prior records.252,760
