India, April 7 -- NASA's historic Artemis II mission experienced a tense but expected moment during its journey around the Moon when the Orion spacecraft temporarily lost contact with Earth for about 40 minutes.

The communications blackout occurred as the spacecraft passed behind the Moon during its lunar flyby - a natural phenomenon that blocks radio signals between the spacecraft and Earth. NASA had anticipated the temporary silence and planned mission procedures accordingly. Here's what actually happened during the dramatic "40 minutes of silence."

Artemis II 40-Minute Silence: Why NASA Lost Contact With Orion

The loss of communication was not a malfunction or technical failure. It happened because the spacecraft moved behind t...