Artemis II Crew Faces 40-Minute Communication Blackout During Moon Flyby
NASA's Artemis II crew will lose all contact with Earth for about 40 minutes during their moon flyby when the Moon blocks radio signals between their Orion spacecraft and mission control. The planned communication blackout begins around 6:44 p.m. as the crew passes behind the Moon.
NASA's Artemis II astronauts will experience a complete communication blackout with Earth during the most critical part of their mission - flying around the Moon.
The blackout will last approximately 40 minutes, starting around 6:44 p.m. when the Orion spacecraft passes behind the Moon. During this time, the Moon itself blocks all radio signals between the crew and NASA's Deep Space Network on Earth.
Aerospace engineer Elio Morillo explained that this blackout is expected and planned for, but represents a major milestone. The crew will be completely on their own during the lunar flyby, unable to communicate with mission control or receive guidance from Earth.
This mission will carry the Artemis II crew farther from Earth than any humans have traveled since the Apollo era. Apollo 13's crew previously held the distance record at 248,655 miles from Earth.
The crew is preparing for lunar observations that will conclude around 9:20 p.m., marking the end of their historic flyby before beginning their journey back to Earth.
This marks the first time humans will fly around the Moon since the Apollo missions over 50 years ago. The blackout shows the real challenges astronauts face in deep space, where Earth can't always provide support or emergency help.
The crew will complete their lunar flyby and observations before starting their return trip to Earth.
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