Artemis II Astronauts Describe Communication Blackout Near Moon’s Far Side

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission achieved a historic milestone on April 6, 2026, by traveling farther from Earth than any humans in history and navigating a planned communication blackout while passing the far side of the moon.

The mission, which includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, alongside Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, broke the previous deep-space distance record at 1:57 p.m. EDT on April 6, 2026. The crew reached a maximum distance from Earth of approximately 252,750 miles, surpassing the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 by more than 4,000 miles.

The Lunar Communication Blackout

As the Orion spacecraft traveled around the far side of the moon, the crew entered a deep-space dead zone that severed all contact with NASA mission control in Houston. This communications blackout began at approximately 6:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2026, and lasted for about 40 minutes.

The loss of signal occurred because the moon acted as a solid physical barrier, obstructing the direct line of sight required for radio signals to travel between the spacecraft and Earth. Because there are currently no relay satellites positioned around the far side of the moon, voice communication and the transmission of telemetry and spacecraft data became impossible.

During this period of isolation, the crew followed pre-planned procedures while the Orion spacecraft relied on its autonomous systems to navigate and operate independently. The blackout ended at approximately 7:25 p.m. ET, a phase known as Earthrise, when the planet came back into view and communication links were restored.

Crew Experience and Mission Roles

The crew members involved in the lunar flyby include commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. Following their passage past the moon, the crew described their emotions as overwhelming.

The journey provided the astronauts with a view of the dark side of the moon, a milestone that occurred at approximately 7:05 p.m. EST on April 6, 2026. This period of the voyage left the crew more isolated than any humans have been in history, as they were unable to alert mission control in the event of a technical problem.

Future Infrastructure and Current Status

To prevent similar communication gaps in future manned missions, space agencies are developing new infrastructure. The European Space Agency is currently working on the Moonlight project, which aims to deploy a network of satellites around the moon to ensure continuous communication for future explorers.

Following the record-breaking flyby and the successful navigation of the far side of the moon, the Artemis II crew has looped around the lunar body and is currently heading back toward Earth.