We’re just days away from NASA’s historic return to the Moon.
The agency’s Artemis 2 mission will see a crew of four astronauts travel far beyond the dark side of the Earth’s natural satellite, reaching the farthest point that humans have ever traveled from Earth. They will get unfettered views of the Moon’s surface during the flyby, getting within just 4,600 miles of its far side, before making their four-day return to Earth.
On Friday, the four astronauts officially entered quarantine in preparation for the mission, a conventional precaution ahead of any prolonged trips into space, to “ensure that they don’t pick up any illness that could delay their mission by limiting their exposure to others in the days before they lift off,” as NASA explained.
“This period, called the health stabilization program, typically starts about 14 days before launch,” the agency wrote. “Beginning quarantine now preserves flexibility as teams work toward potential opportunities in the February launch period.”
The team will still be allowed to be in contact with their friends and family, as long as they “observe quarantine guidelines… avoid public places, wear masks, and maintain distance from others they come into contact with,” per the agency.
NASA will conduct its wet dress rehearsal (WDR) in advance of a launch as early as January 31. The rehearsal is designed to run through the entire launch — while the astronauts are still in quarantine — to ensure that all systems are go.
If all goes according to plan, the agency’s Space Launch System rocket could launch as early as February 6, though an official date has yet to be announced.
However, the rocket has already been rolled out to historic Launch Complex-39B at Kennedy Space Center, alongside the Orion spacecraft that will carry the crew into space.
It’s an exciting prospect, as it’ll be the first time humans have ventured to the Moon in over half a century.
“Artemis 2 will be a momentous step forward for human spaceflight,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman in a recent statement. “This historic mission will send humans farther from Earth than ever before and deliver the insights needed for us to return to the Moon — all with America at the helm.”
The space agency’s follow-up mission, Artemis 3, could allow the first astronauts to walk on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
The mission is scheduled to launch sometime next year, but NASA has plenty of decisions to make — like which spacecraft to pick to carry the crew from lunar orbit down to the surface.
More on the mission: Experts Warn That There’s Something Wrong With the Moon Rocket NASA Is About to Launch With Astronauts Aboard