# Artemis II is the first crewed ‘lunar flyby’ mission in over 50 years.

*aerospace · news · 2026-05-19 · Wabtec Corporation*

## Key points

- Artemis II sent humans 4,070 miles beyond the Moon, farther than any prior crewed mission.
- The Artemis II SLS rocket's fuel tanks had 111,000 inches of welds inspected for safety.
- Ultrasonic phased array inspection systems were critical for detecting complex weld defects on Artemis II.
- Wabtec's inspection technologies, including phased array and eddy current, ensured Artemis II hardware integrity.

**Companies:** NASA, Wabtec, Olympus Corporation
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on Wabtec Corporation](https://www.wabteccorp.com/trains-of-thought/upon-closer-inspection-wabtec-artemis-ii-and-the-new-space-race)

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