Distance and Connection
No one will have been farther from home than the Artemis astronauts. As the Earth diminishes in their rear-view mirror, the crew has maintained a continuous connection with mission control in Houston, Texas. The calm communication from the NASA team has provided the astronauts with a reassuring link to home.
Communication Blackout Behind the Moon
At approximately 23:47 BST on Monday, as the astronauts pass behind the Moon, the radio and laser signals enabling two-way communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be obstructed by the Moon itself. For about 40 minutes, the four astronauts will be isolated, each alone with their own thoughts and emotions, traveling through the darkness of space. This will be a profound moment of solitude and silence.
Reflection and Hope
Artemis pilot Victor Glover expressed his hope that the world will use this time to unite.
"When we're behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let's take that as an opportunity," he told before the mission. "Let's pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew."
Historical Parallel: Apollo Missions
More than 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts also experienced isolation due to loss of signal during their lunar missions. Perhaps the most notable was Apollo 11's Michael Collins.
In 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history by taking the first steps on the lunar surface, Collins remained alone in the command module orbiting the Moon. As his spacecraft passed behind the far side, contact with both the lunar surface crew and mission control was lost for 48 minutes.
He described the experience in his 1974 memoir Carrying the Fire, stating he felt "truly alone" and "isolated from any known life," but did not experience fear or loneliness.
In later interviews, Collins spoke of the peace and tranquility brought by the radio silence, noting it provided a respite from the constant requests from mission control.
Ground Control and Tracking
On Earth, the communication blackout will be a tense period for those responsible for maintaining contact with the spacecraft. At the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, southwest England, a large antenna has been receiving signals from the Orion capsule, precisely tracking its position throughout the journey and relaying this information back to NASA headquarters.
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."
Future Communication Needs
The hope is that such communication dropouts will soon be eliminated. Cosby emphasized that continuous communication will be essential as NASA and other international space agencies work toward establishing a Moon base and expanding exploration activities.
He stated,
"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."
Programs like the European Space Agency's Moonlight initiative plan to deploy a network of satellites around the Moon to provide continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.
Astronauts’ Focus During Blackout
During the communication blackout, the Artemis astronauts will dedicate their time to lunar observation. They will capture images, study the Moon's geology, and simply admire its grandeur.
When the spacecraft emerges from the Moon's shadow and communication is restored, the world will collectively breathe a sigh of relief. The history-making astronauts will then be able to share their extraordinary views with everyone back on Earth.
