Astronauts of the Artemis 2 mission that will go to the moon entered mandatory quarantine before launch
Astronauts of the “Artemis 2” mission: Victor Glover, Christina Koch, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen, PHOTO: SWNS / Profimedia Images
The four astronauts of the crew of the “Artemis 2” mission, which aims to fly over the Moon, entered quarantine before the launch announced for the first part of February, the Space.com site writes on Tuesday, quoted by Agerpres.
“This period, known as the health stabilization program, typically begins 14 days before launch,” according to a NASA statement issued Friday. “The quarantine maintains flexibility as the team works towards potential opportunities around the February launch window,” the statement added.
The Artemis 2 mission is scheduled to last 10 days and will carry a crew of 4 astronauts around the Moon. The mission commander is NASA astronaut Reid Williams, and the crew also includes pilot Victor Glover (NASA), Christina Koch (NASA) and Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency).
Before the launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule, NASA must conduct a series of key tests that saw the rocket and capsule installed on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on January 17.
The first manned mission to the Moon since the famous Apollo program
The upcoming Artemis II mission is the second mission in NASA's multibillion-dollar Artemis lunar program, following an uncrewed flight in 2022, but it will be the first to carry astronauts, who will fly around the moon on a 10-day journey that will take them to the farthest place humans have ever ventured into space.
This will be the first manned flight to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
NASA has announced that there are five potential launch dates between February 6-8 and February 10-11. Two other launch windows open if the Artemis mission does not get the green light in February – one between March 6-9 and March 11, respectively, and the second in April on the dates of April 1, between April 3-6 and April 30, respectively.
What else does the quarantine in which the astronauts of the Artemis mission entered?
If all goes well with the quarantine in Houston, the Artemis 2 astronauts will fly to the launch site – NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida – about six days before the mission's start. There, they will live and work in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
“During the quarantine, the crew may continue regular contact with friends, family and colleagues who can comply with the quarantine rules and will avoid public places, wear masks and maintain distance from others they come into contact with while continuing their final training activities,” NASA officials wrote in the statement Friday. “These training activities will continue in the coming days with mission simulations and medical checks,” he added.
NASA is currently preparing for a critical fueling test of the SLS rocket on February 2nd.
There is no guarantee that this test, a pre-release dress rehearsal, will be passed. For example, general rehearsals of the Artemis 1 mission led to the identification of leaks of liquid hydrogen propellant, which caused the launch to be delayed. Artemis 1 was finally launched in November 2022, successfully sending an uncrewed Orion capsule into lunar orbit and back to Earth.
