Artemis II crew flew fast, earned new patch: Astronauts' Mach 39 emblem

NASA's Artemis II crew achieved the distinction of being the fastest humans alive, a feat now commemorated with a new mission patch. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency completed a 10-day lunar mission in early April. During their journey, they traveled 52,756 miles (406,771 km) from Earth, setting a new record for the farthest distance humans have ventured. On their return, the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, reached speeds of approximately 24,664 miles per hour (39,693 kph) during atmospheric re-entry. This speed places them among the fastest individuals in human spaceflight history. The previous record for crewed vehicle speed relative to Earth's surface was set by Apollo 10 astronauts Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan on May 26, 1969, who achieved 24,791 mph (39,897 kph).