The Artemis II mission will enter a communications blackout when the spacecraft passes behind the Moon at approximately 23:47 BST on Monday. During this period lasting roughly 40 minutes, radio and laser signals linking the four astronauts to mission control in Houston will be blocked by the Moon itself, leaving the crew in complete isolation from Earth.
Artemis pilot Victor Glover has previously expressed hope that the world will use this time of disconnection constructively. He suggested that people should treat the blackout as an opportunity to pray, send positive thoughts, and direct good wishes toward the crew’s safe return from their historic journey.
This experience of communication loss echoes events from the Apollo program more than 50 years ago. During the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, astronaut Michael Collins orbited the Moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the lunar surface, experiencing 48 minutes without contact with either the landing crew or mission control. Collins later described the experience as one of profound solitude, though he reported feeling peace rather than fear during the radio silence.
On Earth, the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall will monitor the spacecraft’s position using a large antenna until the blackout occurs. Matt Cosby, the facility’s chief technology officer, noted that this represents the first time the station has tracked a crewed spacecraft and acknowledged that the team will experience nervousness during the communication loss.
Future lunar exploration may eliminate such blackouts entirely. Space agencies including the European Space Agency are developing satellite networks around the Moon to provide continuous 24-hour communication coverage, which officials say will be essential for establishing a sustainable lunar base and exploring the far side of the Moon. During the blackout, the Artemis astronauts will dedicate their time to lunar observation, taking images and studying the Moon’s geology before re-establishing contact with Earth.
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