Artemis II Astronauts Reconnect With NASA After Brief Blackout

Mission control in Houston reestablished contact after a 40-minute communications outage.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:16am

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A highly textured, geometric abstract painting in earthy tones of ochre, sage, and indigo, featuring sweeping arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conceptually representing the structural order and forces of space travel.An abstract visualization of the Artemis II spacecraft's journey around the Moon, highlighting the complex forces and concepts involved in deep space exploration.Houston Today

NASA mission control in Houston regained communications with the Artemis II astronauts traveling around the Moon after an expected 40-minute blackout period. The temporary loss of contact was a planned part of the mission as the spacecraft passed behind the lunar surface, blocking direct radio signals to Earth.

Why it matters

The Artemis II mission is a critical step toward NASA's goal of returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo program. Maintaining reliable communications between the spacecraft and mission control is essential for mission safety and success.

The details

During the planned communications blackout, the Artemis II spacecraft was traveling behind the far side of the Moon, preventing direct radio signals from reaching Earth. This is a normal occurrence during lunar missions, and NASA engineers were prepared for the temporary loss of contact. Once the spacecraft emerged from behind the Moon, mission control was able to reestablish the connection and confirm the astronauts were in good health.

  • The Artemis II spacecraft entered the communications blackout at approximately 10:15 PM CDT on April 6, 2026.
  • The blackout lasted for around 40 minutes.
  • NASA regained contact with the astronauts at 10:55 PM CDT on April 6, 2026.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Artemis II

The second mission in NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon by the late 2020s.

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What’s next

The Artemis II mission will continue its journey around the Moon, with the astronauts scheduled to perform a series of scientific experiments and observations during the flight.

The takeaway

The temporary communications blackout was an expected and planned part of the Artemis II mission, demonstrating NASA's ability to maintain reliable contact with astronauts even when they are traveling behind the Moon. This mission represents an important milestone in the agency's efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.