Terrifying moment Artemis II loses communication as astronauts scramble to regain contact

 The Artemis II astronauts are currently out of contact with NASA.

The world is holding its breath until the crew of four can get back in contact with NASA's mission control team in Houston, Texas.

The temporary communications blackout was planned due to the Orion spacecraft's fly past the far side of the moon. It started just after 6:40 p.m. EST and is expected to last for 40 minutes.

The eerie radio silence occurred because the radio and laser signals that allow back-and-forth communication between the spacecraft and Earth will be blocked by the Moon.

The Artemis crew is now on Day 6 of their mission after blasting off in a remarkable countdown at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida.

Monday's mission will have the crew travel further from Earth than any astronaut has previously traveled. Today's directives include spending most of the day taking photos and videos of the Moon and recording their observations.

Artemis pilot Victor Glover told the BBC that he hopes the period of silence will be a time to unite people around the globe.

"When we're behind the Moon, out of contact with everybody, let's take that as an opportunity," he said before the mission. "Let's pray, hope, send your good thoughts and feelings that we get back in contact with the crew."

The Artemis II mission

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch are attempting to complete the second flight and first crewed mission of NASA's Moon to Mars program.

The 10-day mission will have them fly past the moon, traveling farther in space than any human beings before them. They'll then make a U-turn and come back to earth.

At the end of the mission, their capsule will land in the Pacific Ocean, and the crew will be retrieved from there. The lunar fly-around marks the first moon trip in 53 years.

What is the goal of the Artemis II mission?

The Artemis II mission is part of NASA's multiphase Moon to Mars initiative, which aims to establish a permanent, livable Moon base before human flights to Mars.

On this mission, the four astronauts will spend 10 days in space, flying past the moon without landing, and returning to Earth.

Mission objectives include testing spacecraft and life support systems, monitoring astronauts' health during spaceflight to assess the effects of radiation and microgravity, and evaluating the integrity of the Orion spacecraft to withstand temperatures of up to 3,000F at re-entry.