Radio silence gave way to a clear connection Monday as NASA's Artemis II crew checked back in with Houston after 40 minutes off the grid. They had been out of contact with Earth as their spacecraft ducked behind the moon during their lunar flyby. During the 40-minute communication blackout, they made their closest approach to the moon, at 4,067 miles, the AP reports. They also reached their maximum distance of 252,756 miles from Earth, adding to the record they set earlier Monday. "This milestone places the crew 4,111 miles farther from Earth than the Apollo 13 mission in 1970," NASA said.
- "As we prepare to go out of radio communication, we're still going to feel your love from Earth," pilot Victor Glover said. "And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the moon. We will see you on the other side."
"It is so great to hear from Earth again," mission specialist Christina Koch told Mission Control from the Orion capsule after communication was restored. "To Asia, Africa, and Oceania, we are looking back at you. We hear you can look up and see the moon right now. We see you too," she said, per Space.com. "When we burned this bird towards the moon, I said that we do not leave Earth, we choose it, and that is true. We will explore. We will build ships. We will visit again, build science outposts. We will drive rovers. We will do radio astronomy. We will found companies. We will bolster industry. We will inspire, but ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other."
The four-person crew, on a loop around the moon in preparation for a future lunar landing, paused their observation work for an hourlong break, with a standout moment on the mission happening soon: Starting at 8:35pm, they will witness a total solar eclipse from the moon's far side.
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