The Artemis astronauts will face a unique moment of solitude as they pass behind the Moon, losing contact with Earth for approximately 40 minutes, according to the BBC. This period of radio silence, which occurs as the spacecraft moves into the Moon’s shadow, will leave the crew completely isolated from mission control in Houston, Texas.

The Moment of Isolation

As the Artemis crew travels through the vastness of space, they will be cut off from all communication with Earth. This happens when the spacecraft passes behind the Moon, blocking the radio and laser signals that allow for communication. This moment of isolation is expected to take place at around 23:47 BST (18:47 EDT) on Monday, as reported by the BBC.

During this time, the four astronauts will be left with their own thoughts and feelings, traveling through the darkness of space. It is a profound moment of solitude and silence, as described by the BBC. Artemis pilot Victor Glover expressed his hope that the world would use this time to come together.

Glover told BBC News before the mission that he hopes people will send good thoughts and feelings during the blackout. ‘When we’re behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let’s take that as an opportunity,’ he said. ‘Let’s pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew.’

Historical Parallels

The experience of losing contact with Earth is not new in space exploration. Over 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts also experienced the isolation brought by the loss of signal during their missions to the Moon. Perhaps none more so than Apollo 11’s Michael Collins, who was alone in the command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history on the lunar surface.

In his 1974 memoir, Carrying the Fire, Collins described feeling ‘truly alone’ and ‘isolated from any known life.’ However, he did not feel fear or loneliness. In later interviews, he described the peace and tranquillity brought by the radio silence, which offered a break from the constant requests from mission control.

Back on Earth, the blackout will be a tense time for those maintaining contact with the spacecraft. At the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, 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.

According to Matt Cosby, Goonhilly’s chief technology officer, this is the first time they are tracking a spacecraft with humans on board. ‘This is the first time we’re tracking a spacecraft with humans on it,’ he told the BBC. ‘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.’

The Future of Lunar Communication

The hope is that these dropouts in communications could soon become a thing of the past. According to Cosby, this will be essential as NASA and other space agencies 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. The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth will be a moment of both solitude and connection, as the world watches their journey unfold.