The four astronauts assigned to NASA’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century entered medical isolation on Friday as Kennedy Space Center teams push toward a potential early February launch window.

NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have begun what the agency calls a “health stabilization program”—a precautionary period designed to shield the crew from illness that could scrub their mission. The protocol typically spans 14 days before liftoff, though NASA has yet to announce an official launch date while rocket and spacecraft testing continues.

Preparations Continue At KSC

At Kennedy Space Center, preparations are accelerating around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B. Ground crews have wrapped up checkouts of mechanical power systems, cryogenic propellant lines, and the rocket’s RS-25 engines.

Beginning Saturday, January 24th, the perimeter around LC-39B will be cleared of non-essential personnel as technicians begin servicing the twin solid rocket boosters as part of the final preparations for SLS and its first crewed flight.

Astros To Come To KSC Late Next Week If All Continues Going Well.

The astronauts are currently quarantining in Houston but will relocate to Kennedy Space Center approximately six days before launch if testing milestones continue on schedule. Upon arrival, they’ll take up residence in the astronaut crew quarters housed within the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building—the same facility that has hosted crews since the Space Shuttle era.

During isolation, the crew will complete mission simulations and medical evaluations while maintaining limited contact with pre-screened family members and colleagues in order to prevent exposure to any illnesses that might prevent them from launching.