NASA Astronaut Quarantine Facility

Walter P Moore provided civil and structural engineering services for the $3.5 million Astronaut Quarantine Facility (AQF). The project includes a 12,300 SF astronaut living area for pre- and post-flight isolation and rehabilitation from the long-term exposure to zero gravity. The project was designed to meet LEED certification requirements.

The building is used to quarantine the shuttle crew from the general population to protect the integrity of the mission by limiting their exposure to viruses or other transmittable diseases. Before missions, flight crews need to be protected from germs that might cause illness and delay or alter the mission. In this time period they can, if needed, adjust their circadian rhythms, allowing them to sleep and wake as their mission demands, not as their work on Earth requires. After the mission, flight crews need time to debrief, rest, and recover their “land legs” and this new facility fulfills this need.

The new facility has 12 astronaut bedroom quarters with full baths, a lounge area for relaxing, an exercise equipment room, and a whirlpool room. There is also a conference room with state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment to stay current with mission information and a large room with computer cubicles so the occupants can keep up with their regular workload. In addition, the new AQF houses a doctor’s examination room, a dining room that can provide overflow conference room space, and a large kitchen and cleanup space. The facility’s landscaping includes a deck and low water use, native plants.