The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth
Image source, Nasa/Reid Wiseman
Earth as seen from the Orion capsule in a new image taken last week
ByRebecca Morelle Science EditorAlison Francis and Kevin ChurchReporting fromJohnson Space Center
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, travelling through the darkness of space. A profound moment of solitude and silence.
'Spectacular!' - Rebecca Morelle reacts to the launch
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 told BBC News before the mission. "Let's pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew."
More than 50 years ago, the Apollo astronauts also experienced the isolation brought by a loss of signal during their missions to the Moon.
Perhaps none more so than Apollo 11's Michael Collins.
Image source, NASA
Astronaut Michael Collins said he felt "truly alone" on the far side of the Moon
In 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history taking the first steps on the lunar surface, Collins was alone in the command module, orbiting the Moon.
As his craft passed behind the far side, contact with the pair on the lunar surface, as well as with mission control, vanished for 48 minutes.
He described the experience in his 1974 memoir Carrying the Fire, saying he felt "truly alone" and "isolated from any known life", but that he did not feel fear or loneliness.
In later interviews, he described the peace and tranquillity brought by the radio silence, saying it offered a break from the constant requests from mission control.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
The BBC's space podcast tells the story of Artemis II- Nasa's mission to loop around the moon.
Back on Earth, the blackout will be a tense time for those with the job of maintaining contact with the spacecraft.
At the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, in the south-west of England, a huge antenna has been collecting signals from the Orion capsule, carefully pinpointing its position throughout its journey, and feeding this information back to Nasa HQ.
Matt Cosby, Goonhilly's chief technology officer, told the BBC: "This is the first time we're tracking a spacecraft with humans on it.
"We're going to get slightly nervous as it goes behind the Moon, and then we'll be very excited when we see it again, because we know that they're all safe."
But the hope is these dropouts in communications could soon become a thing of the past. And Cosby says that will be essential as Nasa – and other space agencies around the world – begin to build a Moon base and ramp up further exploration.
"For a sustainable presence on the Moon, you need the full comms - you need the full 24 hours a day, even on the far side, because the far side will want to be explored as well," he said.
Programmes like the European Space Agency's Moonlight are planning to launch a network of satellites around the Moon to provide continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.
For the Artemis astronauts, their time without contact with the Earth will allow them to devote all of their attention to the Moon.
They'll spend the blackout dedicated to lunar observation – taking images, studying the Moon's geology and simply gazing at its splendour.
When they emerge from the Moon's shadow, and that signal is re-established, the world will breathe a collective sigh of relief.
And the history-making astronauts will be able to share their incredible views with everyone back home.
Why isn't Artemis II landing on the Moon?
Read the full story at BBC ↗
During Artemis II's lunar orbit, the spacecraft will temporarily lose radio and laser contact with Earth for about 40 minutes as it passes behind the Moon. This is a predictable phase of the mission, not an anomaly. Ground stations, including Goonhilly in Cornwall, will monitor the spacecraft's trajectory before and after the blackout. The crew will use this time for focused lunar observation and imaging. Similar communication losses occurred during Apollo missions decades ago. Future Moon bases and extended exploration will require continuous communication infrastructure, which space agencies are beginning to develop through satellite networks positioned around the Moon.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Image source, Nasa/Reid Wiseman
Earth as seen from the Orion capsule in a new image taken last week
ByRebecca Morelle Science EditorAlison Francis and Kevin ChurchReporting fromJohnson Space Center
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, travelling through the darkness of space. A profound moment of solitude and silence.
'Spectacular!' - Rebecca Morelle reacts to the launch
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 told BBC News before the mission. "Let's pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew."
More than 50 years ago, the Apollo astronauts also experienced the isolation brought by a loss of signal during their missions to the Moon.
Perhaps none more so than Apollo 11's Michael Collins.
Image source, NASA
Astronaut Michael Collins said he felt "truly alone" on the far side of the Moon
In 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history taking the first steps on the lunar surface, Collins was alone in the command module, orbiting the Moon.
As his craft passed behind the far side, contact with the pair on the lunar surface, as well as with mission control, vanished for 48 minutes.
He described the experience in his 1974 memoir Carrying the Fire, saying he felt "truly alone" and "isolated from any known life", but that he did not feel fear or loneliness.
In later interviews, he described the peace and tranquillity brought by the radio silence, saying it offered a break from the constant requests from mission control.
13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II
The BBC's space podcast tells the story of Artemis II- Nasa's mission to loop around the moon.
Back on Earth, the blackout will be a tense time for those with the job of maintaining contact with the spacecraft.
At the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, in the south-west of England, a huge antenna has been collecting signals from the Orion capsule, carefully pinpointing its position throughout its journey, and feeding this information back to Nasa HQ.
Matt Cosby, Goonhilly's chief technology officer, told the BBC: "This is the first time we're tracking a spacecraft with humans on it.
"We're going to get slightly nervous as it goes behind the Moon, and then we'll be very excited when we see it again, because we know that they're all safe."
But the hope is these dropouts in communications could soon become a thing of the past. And Cosby says that will be essential as Nasa – and other space agencies around the world – begin to build a Moon base and ramp up further exploration.
"For a sustainable presence on the Moon, you need the full comms - you need the full 24 hours a day, even on the far side, because the far side will want to be explored as well," he said.
Programmes like the European Space Agency's Moonlight are planning to launch a network of satellites around the Moon to provide continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.
For the Artemis astronauts, their time without contact with the Earth will allow them to devote all of their attention to the Moon.
They'll spend the blackout dedicated to lunar observation – taking images, studying the Moon's geology and simply gazing at its splendour.
When they emerge from the Moon's shadow, and that signal is re-established, the world will breathe a collective sigh of relief.
And the history-making astronauts will be able to share their incredible views with everyone back home.
Why isn't Artemis II landing on the Moon?
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Artemis astronauts will lose radio and laser signal contact with Earth for approximately 40 minutes as the spacecraft passes behind the Moon on Monday at 23:47 BST (18:47 EDT) The Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall has been tracking the Orion capsule and will monitor its position during the blackout During the blackout, the crew will dedicate their attention to lunar observation, imagery, and geological study Apollo astronauts also experienced signal loss during lunar missions; Michael Collins experienced 48 minutes of lost contact during Apollo 11 in 1969 Michael Collins described his experience of radio silence as bringing peace and tranquillity, offering a break from constant mission control requests The communication blackout represents a profound moment of solitude for the astronauts Future sustainable lunar presence will require 24-hour continuous communication coverage, including on the far side of the Moon The world will breathe a collective sigh of relief when contact is re-established The ESA's Moonlight programme is planning to launch satellite networks around the Moon to provide future continuous communication coverage
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Artemis astronauts will lose radio and laser contact with Earth for approximately 40 minutes as their spacecraft passes behind the Moon on Monday at 23:47 BST
- The communication blackout is caused by the Moon blocking signals between the Orion capsule and mission control in Houston
- During the blackout, the crew will focus on lunar observation and imagery; similar signal losses occurred during Apollo missions over 50 years ago
- Future lunar exploration may require continuous communication networks, with initiatives like the ESA's Moonlight programme planning satellite constellations around the Moon