NASA Scripted 290 Commands to Capture Artemis II Lunar Flyby Photos During 40-Minute Blackout
Updated
Updated · Livescience.com · Jul 12
NASA Scripted 290 Commands to Capture Artemis II Lunar Flyby Photos During 40-Minute Blackout
3 articles · Updated · Livescience.com · Jul 12
Summary
Nearly 300 pre-programmed camera commands guided Orion through Artemis II’s far-side lunar flyby, letting NASA capture images while the spacecraft was out of contact with Earth for about 40 minutes.
Chris White, the mission’s lead communications officer, said the team had choreographed the shots more than a year in advance, then time-tagged an eight-hour sequence covering Earthset, eclipse and slower photo-taking behind the moon.
Telemetry returned a few minutes after Earthrise, but the photos themselves arrived the next day via an optical laser communications pass from roughly 250,000 miles away.
White said the standout eclipse image showed the moon backlit by the sun, with stars and planets including Venus, Saturn and Mars visible alongside Orion’s Earth-lit structure.
The account offers a behind-the-scenes look at Artemis II mission control and how NASA is refining camera, communications and flight-team coordination ahead of Artemis III.
Beyond the visuals, what scientific secrets do the 12,000 uncelebrated Artemis II photos hold for Earth and the Moon?
After Artemis II's success, can NASA's partners solve critical lander flaws to meet the 2028 Moon landing goal?
Artemis II’s 40-Minute Lunar Blackout: Human Experience, Science, and the Future of Deep Space Communication
Overview
Artemis II marked humanity’s first crewed return to the Moon’s vicinity since Apollo 17, with a crew of four astronauts testing Orion’s systems and offering a new human perspective on the lunar surface. During their historic flyby, the crew spent over six hours observing and documenting the Moon, and made a first-ever radio link-up with the International Space Station. A planned 40-minute communications blackout occurred as Orion passed behind the Moon, leaving the astronauts completely isolated from Earth. This experience highlighted both the psychological impact of deep space solitude and the importance of reliable communication, driving NASA’s efforts to develop advanced lunar relay systems for future missions.