The Artemis II mission will experience a significant communications blackout as the spacecraft travels behind the Moon, temporarily severing the radio and laser signal connections that normally link the crew to mission control in Houston. The outage is expected to last roughly 40 minutes as the four astronauts pass behind the lunar body at approximately 23:47 BST on Monday.
Artemis pilot Victor Glover has characterized this period as an opportunity for reflection and connection, encouraging people on Earth to use the time for prayer and to send positive thoughts toward the crew. The historical precedent for such communication losses dates back more than 50 years to the Apollo missions. Apollo 11’s Michael Collins, who orbited the Moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin conducted the first lunar surface walk, experienced a 48-minute blackout in 1969. Collins later reflected on the experience, describing it as a moment of profound solitude without accompanying fear or loneliness, and noted the peaceful respite it provided from constant ground communications.
During the blackout, ground-based tracking stations, including the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, will maintain vigilance over the spacecraft’s trajectory despite the absence of direct signal reception. Matt Cosby, chief technology officer at Goonhilly, stated this marks the first instance of tracking a crewed spacecraft during a lunar passage and acknowledged the tension inherent in such moments before celebrating successful signal reacquisition.
Space agencies recognize that permanent communication solutions will become necessary for sustained lunar operations. The European Space Agency’s Moonlight program is developing a network of satellites positioned around the Moon to enable continuous coverage, including over the far side. During their communications silence, the Artemis crew will focus entirely on lunar observation, capturing imagery and studying geological features before reestablishing contact with Earth.
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