"While most of the attention at NASA is focused on prelaunch preparations of the Orion spacecraft and its SLS rocket, the four astronauts face a markedly different protocol. As they live and work among people, they can't physically touch anyone nor can they go outside. A simple stomachache or a cold could severely delay the first human trip to the moon's vicinity in more than 50 years."
"In the 1970s, the Apollo missions instituted a mandatory quarantine for those traveling to the moon. Today, NASA calls that initiative the Health Stabilization Program, which requires 14 days of isolation before a launch. During this period, the crew avoids public places, wears special masks and, although they can see loved ones, they must keep their distance or run the risk of getting sick and contaminating Orion's sterile environment."
"The round trip will take at least 10 days. On the Orion, there are workspaces, sleeping quarters, and a toilet, all within an area comparable to the interior of two minivans. Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency must inhabit this cramped enclosure in good health, and as they orbit the side of the moon that never faces Earth, they will lose communication with NASA for a few hours."
The Artemis II crew is following NASA's Health Stabilization Program, which mandates 14 days of isolation before launch, including avoiding public places and wearing special masks. The crew is quarantined at a Houston facility and faces a shifted launch window now targeted for March 6–11, 2026. The mission will be a round trip of at least 10 days aboard Orion, whose interior is comparable to two minivans and contains workspaces, sleeping quarters, and a toilet. Four astronauts must remain healthy because illnesses could delay the mission, onboard treatment options are limited, and a communications blackout will occur while orbiting the moon's far side.
Read at WIRED
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