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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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NASA has temporarily lost contact with the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission as the Orion spacecraft passes behind the moon, a predicted communications blackout that marks a critical phase of the historic crewed lunar flyby.
The loss of signal occurred at 6:44 p.m. ET as Orion traveled along the far side of the moon, where the lunar body blocks direct line-of-sight communications between the spacecraft and Earth. NASA officials have long emphasized that the blackout is a normal and anticipated part of the mission, not an emergency and that it will last roughly 40 minutes as Orion arcs behind the moon before reestablishing contact.
Artemis II is NASA’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program and has sent astronauts on a multi-day journey around the moon without landing. The mission is designed to test Orion’s life-support systems, propulsion, navigation, and heat shield in deep space for the first time with humans onboard, paving the way for future lunar landings later this decade.
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NASA is not concerned about the loss of communication, a spokesperson told Newsweek, as such events regularly occur during mission operations, including closer to home in low Earth orbit.
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The temporary blackout happens because Orion relies primarily on direct radio communication with NASA’s Deep Space Network. When the spacecraft moves behind the moon, the lunar surface physically blocks those radio signals. Unlike some Earth-orbiting missions, there is currently no continuous relay system positioned to maintain communications on the moon’s far side for Orion during this portion of the flight.
Once Orion clears the far side of the moon, communication with Earth is expected to resume automatically, allowing astronauts to speak again with mission controllers and transmit data, images, and crew updates. This is expected to occur at 7:25 p.m., according to a schedule of the flyby shared by NASA.
Artemis 2 Trajectory: What We Know
The crewed mission is expected to loop behind the moon at a distance of roughly 4,600 miles above the lunar surface at its farthest point, allowing astronauts to briefly lose direct communication with Earth before reemerging on the return path home. The entire journey from the launch date of April 1 is expected to last about 10 days, ending with a high‑speed reentry through Earth’s atmosphere and a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA has emphasized that the trajectory is designed to rigorously test life‑support systems, navigation, and deep‑space operations while keeping risk lower than later landing missions.
Can You See Artemis 2 From Earth?
For most people, the best chance to see Artemis 2 with the naked eye was during launch. The rocket was visible for several minutes as it climbed into orbit.
Once Orion separates from the rocket and begins its journey toward the moon, the spacecraft will no longer be visible without specialized equipment. NASA plans to provide live video from inside and outside the capsule as the crew travels farther from Earth than any human mission in more than 50 years.
How Far Is the Moon From Earth?
The moon is an average of 238,855 miles away from Earth.
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