Why are the Artemis II crew in quarantine before their trip to the moon?

Artemis program The first manned flight to the moon may be delayed a little, but the crew is still on standby. While most attention is in NASA On pre-launch preparations for the Orion spacecraft and its SLS rocket, the four astronauts face a noticeably different protocol. Because they live and work among people, they cannot physically touch anyone and cannot go outside. A simple stomach ache or cold could seriously delay the first human journey to the vicinity of the Moon in more than 50 years.

In the 1970s, the Apollo missions imposed a mandatory quarantine on travelers 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 can see their loved ones, they must keep their distance or risk getting sick and contaminating Orion’s sterile environment.

According to A statement issued by NASA, Artemis II The crew is already in quarantine at a facility in Houston. The launch window for their spacecraft was no earlier than February 8, 2026, but the agency is now targeting March 6-11.

The round trip will take at least 10 days. In the Orion, there are work spaces, sleeping quarters and a toilet, all in an area similar to the interior space of two minivans. Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, NASA’s Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency’s Jeremy Hansen must inhabit this narrow region in good health, and as they orbit the side of the Moon that never faces Earth, they will lose contact with NASA for a few hours. Once in space, they will not be able to take time off due to illnesses that reduce performance or cannot be treated on board.

The agency has already faced challenges due to health problems. A few weeks ago, she had to cancel a mission to the International Space Station for the first time due to a medical emergency. Although the nature of this condition was not revealed, NASA confirmed that the station does not have the necessary tools to treat it.

Protecting the moon from cross-contamination

Before the first landing on the moon, scientists were not sure that the moon’s surface was sterile. Although there was no evidence that the moon harbored microscopic life, there was a possibility, however small, that the crew would encounter pathogens for which their immune systems were not prepared. NASA also fears that some microbes could stick to spacesuits or the spacecraft itself, return to Earth and cause a pandemic.

When Neil Armstrong’s crew returned from Apollo 11, NASA immediately placed them in a quarantine unit, where they remained for 21 days while medical staff kept a close watch for abnormal symptoms. The agency maintained a post-lunar quarantine protocol until the Apollo 14 mission, when it gathered enough evidence to rule out biological risks 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, areas where sunlight never reaches and where usable ice may exist, NASA must now protect the moon from terrestrial microbes.

In these areas, which act as natural freezers, microorganisms from Earth can survive for decades. They are unlikely to reproduce, but they may contaminate places containing information about the origin of the Moon and the early days of the solar system. Even the slightest pollution can be mistaken for signs of extraterrestrial life.

This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish It was translated from Spanish.