WASHINGTON : NASA re-established contact with the Artemis II crew following a 40-minute communication blackout as the Orion spacecraft passed behind the far side of the Moon. The temporary loss of signal occurred because the Moon physically obstructed radio transmissions between the spacecraft and Earth, a known and planned phase of the mission.
Despite the silence, mission controllers remained confident, as such blackouts are natural limitations of deep-space communication rather than technical failures.
The reconnection represented a significant milestone, confirming that Orion’s systems were operating as expected during one of its most critical phases. During the flyby, the crew also set a record for the farthest distance from Earth reached by humans and conducted key observations of the lunar surface. The mission, which is paving the way for future human landings on the Moon, continues its journey back to Earth with a planned splashdown in the coming days.
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