The four astronauts who will soon become the first humans in more than half a century to fly on a lunar mission have begun the quarantine process \u2013 a crucial sign that NASA believes a launch could be imminent.<\/p>\n
Sequestering themselves away from others for the next several days ensures that the three Americans and one Canadian selected for a mission known as Artemis 2 are at low risk of becoming sick and jeopardizing the mission. The crew members have entered quarantine in Texas as NASA makes final preparations in Florida to ready the towering rocket that will get the mission off the ground as early as February.<\/p>\n
Artemis 2 is the second moon mission under\u00a0NASA’s multibillion-dollar lunar program, and the first with humans since the vaunted Apollo era came to an end in 1972. While no lunar landing is in store for the mission, the astronauts selected for Artemis 2 will help pave the way for Americans to return to the moon under a follow-up mission in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
2025 spaceflight in photos. See images of Blue Origin, SpaceX missions<\/h2>\n
1<\/span> of 13<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander captures its shadow on the moon’s surface after completing a successful landing March 2 near a volcanic feature on the moon called Mons Latreille. The vehicle became the first of two landers manufactured by a U.S. company to reach the moon is 2025 in crucial missions to lay the groundwork for NASA to return humans to the lunar surface in the years ahead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Here’s everything to know about when the astronauts entered quarantine, and what’s next as NASA prepares for the Artemis 2 rocket launch.<\/p>\n Spaceflight in 2026: <\/strong>6 spaceflights in year ahead, from NASA moon missions to SpaceX Starship<\/span><\/p>\nWho will be on the Artemis 2 mission? Astronauts enter quarantine<\/h2>\n