Scott Detrow

After looping around the moon, witnessing an eclipse from space, surpassing... The furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth.

And yes, doing some high-stress repairs on their space toilet, NASA's four astronaut crew of Artemis II is coming home.

Here's Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen marking their record-breaking journey.

He and the crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth.

We will continue...

Make sure the record is not long-lived, Hansen challenged.

Consider this.

It took more than 50 years for humans to return to the moon.

Is it going to take another 50 before NASA can get back?

From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow.

It's Consider This from NPR.

Fifty-four years.

That is how long it's been since human beings last traveled beyond Earth's orbit, since the crew of Apollo 17 left the moon behind in December 1972.

This week, NASA's Artemis II mission changed that.

Four astronauts flew around the moon aboard their Orion spacecraft, snapping stunning photographs of Earthrise and Earthset, and setting a new record for the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.

By any measure, it was a milestone, but it also raises a bigger question, one that has followed NASA for decades.

Why did it take so long?

And given everything we know about the agency's plans, budget battles, and the growing shadow of China's lunar ambitions, is the road ahead actually realistic?

Joel Achenbach is a science reporter who's been tracking Artemis since the beginning.

Welcome.