No one has been further from Earth than the Artemis astronauts.
But as the planet moves further and further away in their rearview mirror, crew members have maintained a constant connection with the mission control center in Houston, Texas.
The NASA team’s reassuring words have given them a comforting connection to home.
That link is about to be lost.
When the astronauts pass behind the Moon around 22:47 GMT (18:47 EDT) on Monday, 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 through the darkness of space. A deep moment of solitude and silence.
Artemis pilot Victor Glover expressed his hope that the world will use this time to come together.
“When we are behind the Moon, cut off, let’s take advantage of this opportunity,” he told BBC News before the mission. “Let us pray, have hope and send our best wishes so that we can resume contact.”
More than 50 years ago, Apollo astronauts also experienced isolation caused by signal loss during their lunar missions.
Perhaps no one felt it more than Apollo 11’s Michael Collins.
In 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were making history by taking their first steps on the lunar surface, Collins was alone in the command module, orbiting the Moon.
When their ship passed behind the far side of the Moon, contact with Armstrong and Aldrin, as well as mission control, was lost for forty-eight minutes.
He described the experience in his 1974 memoir, “Carrying the Fireplace,” stating that he felt “truly alone” and “isolated from any known form of life,” but that he felt no fear or loneliness.
In later interviews, he described the peace and tranquility that radio silence brought him, saying that it offered him a respite from the constant requests of mission control.
“Somewhat nervous”
Back on Earth, the blackout will be a moment of great tension for those in charge of maintaining contact with the spacecraft.
At the Goonhilly ground station in Cornwall, southwest England, a huge antenna has been picking up signals from the Orion capsule, pinpointing its position throughout its journey and transmitting this information to NASA headquarters.
Matt Cosby, Goonhilly’s chief technology officer, told the BBC: “This is the first time we’ve tracked a manned spacecraft.”
“We’ll be a little nervous when it passes behind the Moon, and then we’ll be really excited when we see it again, because we know everyone is safe.”
But these communications disruptions are expected to soon be a thing of the past. Cosby says this will be essential as NASA — and other space agencies around the world — begin building a lunar base and ramp up exploration.
“For a sustainable presence on the Moon, complete communications are needed, 24 hours a day, even on the far side, because they will also want to explore it,” he concluded.
Programs like the European Space Agency’s Moonlight plan to launch a network of satellites around the Moon to provide continuous and reliable communication coverage in the future.
For Artemis astronauts, time away from Earth will allow them to devote their full attention to the Moon.
They will spend the period of lunar isolation dedicated to observing the satellite: taking images, studying its geology and simply contemplating its splendor.
When they emerge from the shadow of the Moon and the signal is restored, the world will breathe a sigh of relief.
And these history-making astronauts will be able to share their incredible views with everyone on Earth.
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