Artemis II breaks radio silence with four historic words as it emerges from Moon

Artemis II breaks radio silence with four historic words as it emerges from MoonThe Artemis II mission, now at its closest point to the Moon, has broken radio silence with NASA Mission Control after a 40-minute blackout — and the crew's first words were historicCommentsNewsMichael D. Carroll and Bradley Jolly Overnight News Editor01:09, 07 Apr 2026Updated 01:10, 07 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesThe crew have travelled further from Earth than any humans have planned to previously(Image: NASA)Orion emerged from behind the Moon right on schedule, with radio contact instantly restored — bringing to an end a tense 40-minute blackout which had left Mission Control waiting in complete silence.‌Mission specialist Christina Koch was the first to speak. Her first four words were: "Houston, Integrity, comm check." She then added: "It is so great to hear from Earth again."‌With no signal possible on the lunar far side, the capsule had been operating entirely independently. Computers aboard Orion fired the engines at precisely the right moment to propel the spacecraft onto a homeward trajectory — a manoeuvre carried out well beyond the reach of any ground controller.‌Today, the crew reached its closest point to the Moon and will now head back towards Earth. The four astronauts became the furthest-flying humans in history, breaking the record of Apollo 13 set in 1970.READ MORE: Record breaking astronauts are taking earth-shattering images of the moonREAD MORE: Artemis 2 crew face communications blackout as astronaut says 'let's pray'View 3 ImagesOrion has emerged from behind the Moon on schedule(Image: NASA)When the connection was restored, a wave of relief swept through Mission Control. Engineers watched data begin filling their screens; moments later, Koch's voice came through, reports the Express.‌Uncertainty is an ever-present companion in crewed spaceflight — however straightforward a mission may seem, nothing is guaranteed until the crew...