In the same way that Artemis II serves as the first crewed flight to test technology for future missions to the moon and Mars, Apollo 8, which launched on Dec. 21, 1968, also served as a lunar landing preparation mission, preceding Apollo 11's July 1969 lunar landing.

Four astronauts on Nasa's Artemis II mission are on their way back home after a dramatic lunar fly-by that saw them travel further from Earth than any other humans.

The four astronauts became the first humans in more than 50 years to travel near the moon, capturing rare views of its far side — a region never visible from Earth — and setting a new record for the f...