NASA Regains Communications with Artemis II Astronauts After Expected 40-Minute Blackout
NASA mission control in Houston has successfully re-established contact with the four astronauts aboard the Artemis II spacecraft after a planned 40-minute communications blackout.
The loss of signal occurred as the Orion spacecraft passed behind the far side of the Moon, where the lunar body blocked all radio communication with Earth.
The blackout, which began at approximately 6:44 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, April 6, 2026, is a normal and expected part of the mission. During this period, the crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — became the most isolated humans in deep space in over 50 years, with no way to communicate with Earth or anyone else.
Mission control confirmed that all systems are functioning normally after the signal was restored. Upon regaining contact, astronaut Christina Koch remarked, “We will always choose Earth, we will always choose each other.” The crew is continuing its historic journey around the Moon as part of the Artemis II mission, which is testing key systems ahead of future crewed lunar landings.
