The Artemis program’s first crewed trip to the moon may be slightly delayed, but the crew is still deep in prep mode. 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.
According to a statement released by NASA, the Artemis II crew is already in quarantine at a facility in Houston. The launch window for their spacecraft had been no earlier than February 8, 2026, but the agency is now targeting March 6 to 11.
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. Once in space, they aren’t able to take time off due to illnesses that reduce performance or cannot be treated onboard.
The agency has already faced challenges due to health issues. A few weeks ago, it had to abort a mission to the International Space Station for the first time due to a medical emergency. Although the nature of that condition was not disclosed, NASA confirmed the station did not have the necessary instruments to treat it.
Protecting the Moon From Cross Contamination
Before the first lunar landing, scientists were not certain the lunar surface was sterile. Though there was no evidence the Moon harbored microscopic life, there was the possibility, however slim, that the crew might encounter a pathogen for which their immune system was unprepared. NASA also feared some microbe might attach itself to the space suits or the spacecraft itself, travel back to Earth and cause an epidemic.
When Neil Armstrong’s crew returned from Apollo 11, NASA immediately placed them in a quarantine unit, where they stayed for 21 days while medical personnel kept close watch for abnormal symptoms. The agency maintained this post-lunar quarantine protocol until Apollo 14, when it had gathered enough evidence to rule out biohazards from the Moon.
Recent studies recommend avoiding cross contamination in the other direction. Because the Artemis program aims to explore the Moon’s south pole craters, regions where sunlight never reaches and usable ice might exist, NASA must now protect the Moon from our terrestrial microbes.
In these zones, which function as natural freezers, microorganisms from Earth could survive for decades. It’s unlikely they would propagate, but they could contaminate places that hold information about the origin of the Moon and the early days of the solar system. Even the slightest contamination could be mistaken for signs of extraterrestrial life.
This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.