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A moment of absolute solitude in space: Artemis astronauts will lose contact with Earth for 40 minutes

2026-04-06 17:41:45Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
A moment of absolute solitude in space: Artemis astronauts will lose contact
Earth photographed from the Orion capsule in a new image taken last week

No human has been further from home than the astronauts of the Artemis mission.

But as Earth grows ever smaller in their rearview mirror, they have had a constant connection to mission control in Houston, Texas. The NASA team's calming words have given the astronauts a sense of comfort and connection to home.

This connection is about to be lost.

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon at around 23:47 BST (18:47 EDT) on Monday, April 6, the radio and laser signals that allow two-way communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be blocked by the Moon itself.

For about 40 minutes, the four astronauts will be alone, each with their own thoughts and feelings, traveling in the darkness of space, a moment of profound solitude and stillness. Artemis astronaut Victor Glover said he hopes the world will use this time to come closer to each other.

More than 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts also experienced the isolation that followed signal loss during their missions to the Moon.

Perhaps more than anyone, 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 was alone in the command module, orbiting the moon.

When his spacecraft passed the far side, contact with the two astronauts on the lunar surface, as well as with mission control, was lost for 48 minutes. He described the experience in his 1974 book “Carrying the Fire,” saying he felt “utterly alone” and “isolated from all known life,” but he felt no fear or loneliness.

In later interviews, he spoke of the peace and quiet that radio silence brought, saying it offered him a break from the constant demands of mission control. Back on Earth, during this period of no communication, those responsible for maintaining contact with the ship will experience a tense time.

At Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, southwest England, a large antenna has been collecting signals from the Orion capsule, carefully determining its position throughout the journey and transmitting this information to NASA's main center.

Matt Cosby, chief technology officer at Goonhilly, told the BBC:

"It's the first time we're following a spacecraft with people inside. We'll be a little nervous when it passes behind the Moon, and then very excited when we see it again, because we know everyone is safe."

Hopefully, these communication disruptions will soon be a thing of the past. Cosby says this will be essential as NASA and other space agencies begin building bases on the Moon and intensifying further exploration.

Programs such as the European Space Agency's Moonlight plan to launch a network of satellites around the Moon to ensure continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.

For Artemis astronauts, time without contact with Earth will allow them to focus fully on the Moon.

They will spend this period making observations of the Moon, taking photographs, studying its geology, and simply enjoying its beauty.

When they get out of there and the signal returns to normal, the world will breathe a sigh of relief. The history-making astronauts will be able to share their incredible footage with everyone back home./ BBC


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