Artemis program The first manned trip to the Moon may be slightly delayed, but the crew is still deep in preparation mode. While most of the attention at NASA is focused on pre-launch preparations for the Orion spacecraft and its SLS rocket, the four astronauts are dealing with a distinctly different protocol. Because they live and work among people, they cannot physically touch anyone or go outside. A straightforward stomach ache or chilly could seriously delay the first human trip to the Moon in more than 50 years.
In the 1970s, the Apollo missions introduced mandatory quarantine for people traveling to the Moon. Today, NASA calls this initiative the Health Stabilization Program, which requires 14 days of isolation before launch. During this period, the crew avoids public places, wears special masks, and although they see loved ones, they must keep their distance, otherwise they run the risk of getting infirmed 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. Their spacecraft’s launch window was no earlier than February 8, 2026, but the agency is currently targeting a March 6-11 launch.
The round trip will take at least 10 days. Orion has workspaces, bedrooms and a toilet, all in a space 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 live in this tight space in good health, and because they will be orbiting on the side of the Moon that never faces Earth, they will lose communication with NASA for several hours. Once they reach space, they cannot take time off due to illnesses that impair performance or cannot be treated on board.
The agency was already facing challenges related to health issues. A few weeks ago, he had to interrupt a mission to the International Space Station for the first time due to a medical emergency. Although the nature of the condition was not disclosed, NASA confirmed that the station did not have the necessary instruments to treat it.
Protecting the Moon from Cross-Contamination
Before the first lunar landing, scientists weren’t sure whether the lunar surface was sterile. While there was no evidence that the moon harbored microscopic life, there was a risk, albeit a miniature one, that the crew would encounter a pathogen for which their immune systems were unprepared. NASA also feared that a microbe could attach itself to space suits or the spacecraft itself, return 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 staff watched closely for any abnormal symptoms. The agency maintained this post-lunar quarantine protocol until Apollo 14, when it gathered enough evidence to rule out biological threats originating from the Moon.
Recent research recommends avoiding cross-contamination in the opposite direction. Because the Artemis program is designed to study craters at the Moon’s south pole, regions where sunlight never reaches and where useful ice may exist, NASA must now protect the Moon from Earth’s microbes.
In these zones, which act as natural freezers, Earth’s microorganisms can survive for decades. They are unlikely to spread, but they could contaminate sites containing information about the origins of the Moon and the origins of the solar system. Even the slightest contamination can be mistaken for signs of extraterrestrial life.
This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish and was translated from Spanish.