# NASA is preparing to send humans to space as coronavirus pandemic worsens | Tech News (HT Tech) > You can go to space but make sure you have no bugs # NASA is preparing to send humans to space as coronavirus pandemic worsens ## You can go to space but make sure you have no bugs Aug 20 2022, 20:01 IST ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook.png) ![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook-hover.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Share.png) ![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Shareclicked.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp.png) ![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp-hover.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter.png) ![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter-hover.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook.png) ![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook-hover.png) ![Bookmark](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmark.png) ![Bookmarked](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmarked.png) ![Tourists take pictures of a NASA sign at the Kennedy Space Center visitors complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida April 14, 2010. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2020/02/28/Pictures/tourists-florida-pictures-canaveral-kennedy-visitors-complex_b5f25956-59da-11ea-a545-768c83e117c2.jpg) Tourists take pictures of a NASA sign at the Kennedy Space Center visitors complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida April 14, 2010. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Files (REUTERS) ![Author Photo](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HTTech-new-circle-logo.png) ### By HT CORRESPONDENT Coronavirus has been spreading across the globe and the while the scientists search for a cure, NASA has been going ahead with its upcoming mission including some that will send humans to the International Space Station (ISS) in the future. For now, NASA "does not foresee any changes being made to these missions, and there are "procedures in place to guarantee astronauts do not bring any illnesses with them into space". NASA also has "its own internal 'response framework' for how it plans to deal with the pandemic". The organization lists for different stages for the agency and each detail the number of people who will work from home, the level of access to NASA facilities and hoe much travel will be allowed. Also read click here. NASA has two centers right now, the Ames Research Center and the Marshall Space Flight Center, that are on Stage 3 which makes "telework mandatory and only allows 'mission essential' personnel on site at facilities". These two centers were made Stage 3 when employees tested positive for COVID-19 at each site. The Johnson Space Center (JSC), which operates the ISS and also oversees the human spaceflight launches, is at Stage 2. At that level, teleworking is "strongly encouraged", not mandatory though, and various facilities are closes. Also Read: Google's full-fledged informational site on coronavirus to launch later this week "The health and safety of NASA's workforce is the agency's top priority. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) concern continues to escalate, NASA is taking steps to ensure its workforce is protected and informed," a NASA spokesperson at JSC said in a statement. However, as more workers from the JSC stay at home, they are "still looking ahead to the next launch of people to the ISS, which is slated for April 9 out of Kazakhstan. A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch three crew members, including NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, to the station on April 9, where they'll join three others who are already in orbit. The launch is expected to go as scheduled and NASA has not made any changes to the mission. However, Kazakhstan has effectively closed its borders after reporting the first coronavirus case in the country. "No one can enter the country except for diplomats, returning citizens, and those invited by the country's government, according to Reuters and NASA is still assessing "if changes are needed regarding how personnel will travel to Kazakhstan". The bigger concern, of course, is that astronauts flying to ISS could carry the virus with them if they do not know they are infected. For this, NASA has a long-held strategy in place that prevents astronauts from carrying any "nasty bugs" to space with them. Also Read: Android users beware! This coronavirus tracking app installs malware on your smartphone "All astronauts going to orbit must go through a two-week period of quarantine called 'health stabilization', according to NASA". That's one way for the agency to make sure that the crew is not "incubating any illnesses before launch". However, NASA has said it "will continue to evaluate and augment this plan, in coordination with its international and commercial partners" if needed. On the other hand, Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, has decided to shut down all media activity around the Soyuz launch along with barring journalists from covering the mission in person. Russia will, however, still live stream the launch and NASA usually airs all of its launches on their own online TV channel. Post the launch, the next big thing for JSC will be the return of the crew from ISS. NASA astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka are slated to return in a Soyuz capsule landing in the Kazakhstan desert in mid-April. Such landings "typically require large groups of recovery personnel to extract the astronauts from the landed capsule". NASA did not provide any details if those operations would change in light of the pandemic, yet. However, NASA has more than one upcoming crewed mission planned. NASA's commercial partner SpaceX will be ready to send its first crew of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station soon. This launch is a critical for NASA's Commercial Crew Program since it is an initiative to "develop privately funded vehicles to transport people to and from the ISS". According to reports, "SpaceX has been developing its Crew Dragon capsule for the program, and the first vehicle that will fly a crew of two to the station is already in Florida ahead of its inaugural flight". Also Read: Google removing fake coronavirus videos from YouTube, says Sundar Pichai SpaceX is currently targeting May for that flight, according to its president Gwynne Shotwell. NASA also says that "SpaceX's passengers for the mission, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, are continuing to train for the mission as originally planned". At SpaceX, it seems like things are still moving ahead as planned. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sent an email last week to employees underplaying the coronavirus threat, "arguing people were more likely to die in a car crash than from the virus". Also Read: After calling coronavirus panic dumb, Elon Musk says car crashes deadlier than the pandemic However, situations at both NASA and SpaceX can change quickly. With the coronavirus pandemic evolving, last moment alterations cannot be ruled out. Other space launches are being affected due to the virus - "Europe's primary spaceport in French Guiana, South America is suspending all launches from the site for the foreseeable future, in order to protect the health of employees and people in the area". It's possible that "upcoming launches from the US could be postponed as well. It just depends on how companies plan to react and if governments take even more decisive action". Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel. 17 Mar, 17:35 IST coronavirus nasa spacex elon musk ![HT Tech Awards](https://tech.hindustantimes.com/ht-tech-power-list-awards-2026/httech-awards-banner-new.webp) ### More From This Section 71,589,383,862,878 NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Tips & Tricks ![Ghibli-style art](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### How to turn your photos into Ghibli-style art with ChatGPT for free: Step-by-step guide ![How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide ![Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it ![Vodafone Idea OTT plans](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Vodafone Idea users can now stream 17 OTT apps with one subscription: Here's how ![Android data transfer methods](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### How to transfer data from one Android to another using Google backup, USB-C cable, and more ## Editor’s Pick ![iPhone 16e launched with A18 chip, Apple AI—bringing flagship power on a budget: Check specs, price](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 16e launched in India: All details about the new budget mobile from Apple ![DeepSeek was founded in China with only a fraction of the budget of the top AI companies in the US.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### DeepSeek AI: How it works, who’s behind it, how it’s different from ChatGPT, and its big US market impact explained ![iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on ![Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini ![iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update ## Trending Stories ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside keep up with tech ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ![Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-twitter.png) ![WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-whatsApp.png) ![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png) ## Gaming ![Check out these five gaming monitors under ₹20,000,](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Top 5 gaming monitors under ₹20000 you should consider ![gaming consoles](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Grab gaming consoles at discounted rates during Amazon Great Indian Festival: Up to 72% off ![Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025 to bring Grimmsnarl family, Shiny Hatenna, and global challenges ![Shade Silver](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Shade Silver free on Steam for a limited time: Here’s how to get it ![Call of duty](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png) ### Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 skips Switch 2 at launch, release date and price leak ![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png) ## Trending News ### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order ![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC ![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more ![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report ![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside ![CMF Buds 2](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif) ## Trending Gadgets Mobiles Laptops Tablets ![HT Tech](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HT_tech-new.gif) - https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/nasa-is-preparing-to-send-humans-to-space-as-coronavirus-pandemic-worsens-story-eBeAhFR9Tne4XxdZXCFyyK.html