The Artemis II crew have entered quarantine, ahead of the launch of their mission to the Moon and back.
NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, went into quarantine on Friday 23 January.
The measure is a standard procedure to ensure the crew don’t pick up any illnesses that could delay their mission.
NASA’s proposed launch dates for Artemis II state that the mission could lift off as early as 6 February 2026.
With the astronauts now in quarantine, this is one more big step towards the launch of the first crewed mission to the Moon since the Apollo programme.
Rollout of the Artemis II Space Launch System was completed on 17 January 2026, meaning the rocket and Orion capsule – where the astronauts will be – is now on the launch pad, almost ready to go.
Keeping fit and healthy for a journey to the Moon
The period of quarantine the Artemis astronauts are now going through is known as the ‘health stabilisation program’, and NASA says it begins about 14 days before launch.
That doesn’t mean Artemis II is confirmed to launch in 14 days, but it is a sign that all is going well with launch preparations, and that the mission could potentially get an early-February launch date.
One other vital step before launch is the ‘wet dress rehearsal’, where ground teams will run through all the key stages to launch, without the astronauts onboard.
At the time of writing, NASA hasn’t set an official launch date, but testing of the spacecraft and rocket are ongoing.
NASA says that, pending the outcome of the wet dress rehearsal, the crew may come out of quarantine, then re-enter quarantine 14 days before any launch date.
While in quarantine, the Artemis II crew will live in the astronaut quarters at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, and will remain there until launch day.
They can have regular contact with friends and colleagues, NASA says, provided any visitors have observed quarantine guidelines like avoiding public spaces, wearing masks and maintaining distance from the astronauts.
The Artemis II journey
Artemis II will see the four astronauts lift off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA, and go into orbit around Earth.
Once they’re given the go-ahead, an engine burn will take them out of Earth orbit and onwards to the Moon.
They’ll journey beyond the Moon, further than any human has travelled before, then use the Moon’s gravity to ‘slingshot’ the spacecraft back towards Earth.
During the mission they’ll be able to see the far side of the Moon, which is something only a select few astronauts have ever seen with their own eyes.
The same side of the Moon always faces Earth, so we never get to see the far side of the Moon from the ground.
The whole mission will take 10 days, NASA says, culminating in splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Artemis II will be followed by Artemis III, which will see humans land and set foot on the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.
As we await NASA’s announcement of the designated launch date for Artemis II, the astronauts’ entry into quarantine feels like a major milestone on the journey to send humans back to the Moon.
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