NASA’s Artemis II crew entered quarantine on March 18 whilst the massive moon rocket completed its journey to the launchpad a day later
A groundbreaking chapter in space exploration is set to unfold as NASA’s Artemis II mission has achieved a significant milestone. On the evening of Thursday, March 19, the colossal moon rocket made its way to the launchpad for a second attempt, whilst the astronauts preparing for the voyage monitored proceedings via screens from their isolation quarters.
The rocket concluded its trek from the Vehicle Assembly Building to LC-39B, wrapping up an approximately 10-hour nocturnal transfer. Concurrently, the Artemis II crew – Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen – all commenced a 14-day isolation period on March 18, with a potential launch window opening as soon as April 1.
Throughout this isolation phase, medical personnel will conduct health assessments of the astronauts, with additional checks scheduled immediately prior to departure to detect any indicators of potential illness.
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“We choose to isolate the crew for 14 days before a launch because most infectious diseases take 10 to 14 days to be transferred from one person to another,” said Dr Raffi Kuyumjian, the Canadian Space Agency’s flight surgeon.
This protective environment extends to support personnel, technical staff and relatives who may choose to participate as well.
The crew members will be well-versed in the quarantine process, as this marks their third experience, following two earlier scrubbed launch attempts. Artemis II had been scheduled for a February lift-off, but NASA was compelled to scrap the launch attempt and return the rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building in Cape Canaveral for repairs after discovering a helium leak, reports the Express.
Engineers have confirmed the problem has been resolved and are optimistic that a final series of tests at the launch pad will allow the rocket to blast off in early April.
NASA is targeting 6.24pm Eastern Daylight Time on April 1 – 11.24pm UK time – for Artemis II’s initial launch attempt. Back-up launch windows are available on April 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 if the first date proves unsuccessful. If all these opportunities pass, the month’s final launch window will fall on April 30.
The mission encompasses a 10-day crewed journey that will transport four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will function as the exploration vehicle.
It will mark the first human lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972, laying the groundwork for Artemis III, which seeks to land astronauts on the Moon’s surface once again.
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