Artemis II astronauts enter quarantine as launch period inches closer
With the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft already at Launch Pad 39B, the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission entered quarantine on Friday. Referred to as the 'health stabilization program,' it begins about 14 days prior to launch and ensures that astronauts are not exposed to any illnesses that could delay or compromise their mission, according to NASA.
NASA hasn't decided on a launch date yet, which is, of course, dependent upon the success of the upcoming wet dress rehearsal, among other things. That being said, the launch period does begin on February 6. A quarantine now makes sense because of the flexibility it offers as teams work towards launch opportunities. Once the wet dress rehearsal and other tests are successful, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen can come out of quarantine and re-enter again a fortnight before any launch date.
If all tests yield expected results, the four-person crew will fly out of Houston, where they began their quarantine, to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida six days before launch. There, they will be housed inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout building before they depart for the Moon. In case you are wondering, yes, the astronauts will be able to contact their friends and family during the quarantine, provided they comply with all the guidelines, stay away from public places, and wear masks while maintaining social distance with others as they carry out their final training activities. These will continue along with mission simulations and medical checkouts.
The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which will have crew members aboard them for the first time, are undergoing preparations at the Kennedy Space Center. Meanwhile, cryogenic propellant lines, mechanical power systems, and engines at Launch Pad 39B have all undergone necessary checkouts. The press release from NASA also added that on Saturday, January 24, the perimeter of the launch area would be cleared of all non-essential individuals to make way for the SLS booster servicing.
In a different part of the country, meanwhile, teams from both the space agency and the U.S. Department of War, which will be responsible for bringing the Artemis II crew back home following their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean and will be traveling to the splashdown soon after launch, are busy simulating their tasks at sea.
While none of the four astronauts will set foot on the surface of the Moon during the 10-day mission, they will be responsible for testing the hardware and systems aboard the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft for their suitability for crewed deep space missions. This will pave the way for Artemis III, which, in fact, will see Americans land on the lunar surface once again. The Artemis II mission will also have huge implications for crewed missions to Mars.
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