Artemis Astronauts Face 40 Minutes of Silence Beyond the Moon

Mon Apr 06 2026 21:48:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

As NASA's Artemis mission approaches the Moon, astronauts will experience a crucial 40-minute communication blackout, forcing them to navigate a profound moment of solitude and reflection in space.

During their mission aboard Artemis II, astronauts will lose contact with Earth for 40 minutes as they pass behind the Moon, creating a moment of solitude reminiscent of earlier Apollo missions. This silence offers both a daunting challenge and an opportunity for lunar observation, igniting reflections on isolation in space.

No-one will have been further from home than the Artemis astronauts.

But as the Earth shrinks ever smaller in their rear-view mirror, they've had a constant connection with mission control in Houston, Texas. The calm words from the NASA team have given the crew a comforting link with home.

That link is about to be lost.

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon at about 23:47 BST (18:47 EDT) on Monday, the radio and laser signals that allow the back-and-forth communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be blocked by the Moon itself.

For about 40 minutes, the four astronauts will be alone, each with their own thoughts and feelings, traveling through the darkness of space. A profound moment of solitude and silence.

Artemis pilot Victor Glover told us he hopes the world will use the time to come together. When we're behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let's take that as an opportunity, he said, encouraging everyone to send their good thoughts and feelings until contact is re-established.

The isolation is a familiar scenario; over 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts faced similar communication dropouts during their lunar missions. Notably, Michael Collins felt truly alone and isolated from any known life as he orbited the Moon while Armstrong and Aldrin made history on the surface.

Back on Earth, the communication blackout will ignite tension for those tasked with maintaining contact with the spacecraft, as antennas at locations like the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall track the Orion capsule's position.

As Artemis journeys further, the goal is to ensure constant communications. The European Space Agency's Moonlight initiative plans to launch a satellite network around the Moon to provide reliable, 24-hour communication coverage.

During this imminent silence, the Artemis crew will focus on lunar observation, dedicating their time to studying the Moon's geology, capturing images, and reflecting on the celestial body’s grandeur. As they emerge back into the communication channel, it will mark not only a relief for earthbound teams but also a moment to share their remarkable perspectives and discoveries with mission control.