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The crew of the Artemis II mission slipped into a tense communications blackout on Monday evening on its way back to Earth. According to NASA, the loss of signal began at approximately 6:44 PM ET (4:14 AM IST)and is expected to last about 40 minutes. During this period, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen were completely out of reach, marking one of the most isolated moments ever experienced by humans in deep space.
The blackout occurred when the spacecraft moved behind the far side of the Moon, cutting off all contact with Earth.
Why the blackout occurred?
The blackout occurs when the Moon comes directly between the spacecraft and Earth, blocking all communication links. Contact resumed around 7:25 PM ET (4:55 AM IST), when the planet came back into view, a phase known as “Earthrise”.
The communications signal blackout occurred as the Moon became as a solid barrier between the spacecraft and Earth.
According to BBC, space agencies around the world, like ‘Moonlight’ project by the European Space Agency, are working deploy a network of satellites around the Moon for future manned missions to space. This will help maintain continuous communication throughout the flights in future.
Before the blackout, mission controllers said they did not expect any major risks during this phase, though teams remained ready to respond to unexpected situations. In preparation, astronauts rehearsed key procedures, including consuming protein drinks and administering medication while wearing their bulky orange launch and entry suits, in case extended use becomes necessary.
NASA had also outlined contingency measures for emergencies. If the spacecraft were to suffer a breach, the Orion capsule can continue supplying oxygen to maintain cabin pressure, giving the crew sufficient time to secure themselves in pressurised suits.
Records created during blackout
Despite the communication gap, the mission timeline includes several significant milestones. During the blackout, the crew is set to observe the Moon’s far side, which has never been seen directly by humans.
At around 7:05 PM ET (4:35 AM IST), the spacecraft reached its maximum distance from Earth at 252,760 miles. This will surpass the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970 by roughly 4,105 miles. At its closest approach, about 4,070 miles above the lunar surface, the Moon should appear roughly the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.
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Although ground teams were be unable to communicate with the crew during the blackout, operations continued uninterrupted on board. The astronauts carried out their lunar targeting plan and continued scientific observations.
These tasks included tracking historic Apollo landing sites, identifying potential future landing zones, and capturing images of nearby planets such as Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn. The crew also observed a solar eclipse from Orion’s vantage point.
Earlier in the day, NASA confirmed that the mission had already surpassed the distance-from-Earth record previously held by Apollo 13.
