Artemis II crew on course to head back home

(CNN, KYMA) - The Artemis II astronauts are now on course to head back to Earth after their historic, record-breaking lunar flyby.

President Donald Trump spoke with the crew Monday, congratulating them and the entire team at NASA for an incredible, historic mission. President Trump also made clear this is just the beginning.

Day six of the Artemis II mission was record-breaking as the four astronauts traveled farther from Earth than anyone ever has.

Their maximum distance of roughly 252,000 miles broke the 1970 record set by Apollo 13.

The spacecraft also had one of the longest communications blackouts in human space-flight history as it passed behind the moon.

During the expected, 40-minute comms blackout, the crew saw Earth-rise, experienced a total solar eclipse, and got an unprecedented view of the moon's mysterious far side, observing features that have never been seen directly by human eyes.

Having completed their historic lunar flyby, the four astronauts are on their journey back from the silver orb in the sky to the blue planet they call home.