As Earth recedes further and further into their rear window, and they inch ever closer to the Moon, the Artemis II crew has been in constant contact with mission control in Houston, Texas. Words from the NASA team have given the crew a “comforting connection” to home.

But this connection is about to be lost.

As the astronauts pass behind the Moon, the radio and laser signals that allow for back-and-forth 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 profound moment of solitude and silence.

Artemis pilot Victor Glover said he hopes the world will use the time to come together.

"When we're behind the Moon, without contact with everyone, let's use this as an opportunity," he told BBC News ahead of the mission. "Let's pray, let's hope, let's send you your good thoughts and feelings so that we can get back in touch with the crew."

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

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.
As his ship passed behind the dark side, contact with the duo on the lunar surface, as well as with mission control, was lost for 48 minutes.

He described the experience in his 1974 memoir, "Carrying the Fire," saying he felt "truly lonely" and "isolated from all known life," but that he felt no fear or loneliness.
In later interviews, he described the peace and quiet that radio silence brought, saying it offered a break from the constant demands from mission control.