For NASA’s Artemis II Crew, Journey to the Moon ‘Starting to Feel Real’

New York Times
by Kenneth Chang
March 29, 2026
3 min read

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Four astronauts are in quarantine ahead of NASA's Artemis II crewed lunar mission scheduled for Wednesday.

AI Summary

Four astronauts — three Americans and one Canadian — are in prelaunch quarantine ahead of NASA's Artemis II mission scheduled for Wednesday, with the crew expressing that the lunar journey is "starting to feel real." Artemis II represents NASA's second crewed test flight of its new moon program, following the uncrewed Artemis I launch in 2022. The mission marks a critical step toward returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, as part of the agency's broader effort to establish sustained exploration capabilities. The crew's quarantine protocol is standard procedure designed to protect astronaut health before spaceflight. Success on this mission will validate the systems and procedures needed for subsequent lunar landings and deeper space exploration.

What's Being Done

Four astronauts are in prelaunch quarantine as part of standard health protocols for the Artemis II mission.

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