The Journey to the Moon began on April 1, 2026. The astronauts spent the first five days traveling through deep space and preparing the Orion spacecraft for lunar operations. On the sixth day, the Orion entered the Moon's gravitational field and performed a carefully planned flyby of the far side. The spacecraft flew 4,067 miles above the Moon's surface, giving the crew a clear view of craters, mountains, and other geological features. This passage broke the 56-year human spaceflight distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. The crew also witnessed the Earth rising and setting on the Moon's horizon and observed a solar eclipse, which lasted for approximately 53 minutes. The mission provided valuable scientific data about the Moon's geology and will help scientists better understand the Moon's composition.