Three astronauts are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 9. They won’t return to our world for six months. Instead, they’ll watch from the safety of outer space as a pandemic plays out some 250 miles beneath their feet.
Escaping Earth for six months might sound like a dream to most of humanity right now, but these spacefarers must be vigilant to avoid bringing COVID-19 aboard the ISS with them. The odds of that happening are low, but the consequences of an outbreak in orbit could have dire consequences. Medical supplies are limited on the ISS, and an emergency trip home could be both risky and tricky. So to plan for the worst, American and Russian space agencies have stepped up their preventive measures ahead of the launch of astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
These three astronauts are not the only ones scheduled for an upcoming launch, either. NASA is moving ahead with another important crew mission as early as May. Two more astronauts, Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken, will fly to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. If all goes well, they’ll be the first humans to ride a private spacecraft into orbit. According to a report by CBS News, Hurley and Behnken are also already aggressively trying to limit their exposure to coronavirus.
Sending five humans into orbit is challenging enough under normal circumstances. But it’s harder still during a pandemic. Coronavirus concerns have already had an impact on spaceflight and space science. Several employees at NASA facilities have tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the space agency has stepped up its response, implementing additional cleaning and social distancing measures, as well as requiring many employees to work from home.
All of this has the space agency keeping an extra close eye on its astronauts.
