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Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

NGC 1275 in the Perseus Cluster

Most galaxies don't have any rings -- why does this galaxy have three?

Oh what a

What is Miranda really like?

SpaceX’s decision to focus on establishing a lunar city ahead of building a Mars colony represents a significant shift in Elon Musk’s space exploration ambitions

Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics

Scientists have pinpointed a group of bacteria that consistently appear in high numbers in healthy people, suggesting that these could one day be targeted through diet or probiotics

People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them

People classed as “overweight” according to BMI can be perfectly healthy. But there are better measures of fat, and physicians are finally using them

A composite image shows the International Space Station as it transits the Moon. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyNASA/Joel Kowsky

Have you ever heard the saying, “You have to learn how to walk before you can run?” The same can be true in human space exploration. To push capabilities further and ensure safe, successful missions, NASA must test ideas and solve challenges ahead of time. While Earth-based research and engineering helps NASA progress through various challenges, it can’t fully replicate the space environment. That’s where the International Space Station comes in — an out-of-this-world laboratory where astronauts help prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

(From left) Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency); Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, both from NASA; and Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), showing off crew active dosimeters used for radiation monitoring. Credit: NASANASA

Since 2000, NASA and its partners have used the orbiting laboratory to conduct groundbreaking research and collaborate to advance human exploration to the depths of our solar system. Research aboard the space station helped lay the foundation for the Orion spacecraft’s life support and safety systems, which will carry four astronauts around the Moon during the Artemis II mission. These systems include radiation sensing equipment, carbon dioxide removal systems, a water-based portable fire extinguisher, emergency fire masks, the toilet, a heat exchanger, and a backup emergency navigation system.

Artemis II also includes a set of science objectives, many rooted in research and methods pioneered aboard the space station. One example is Spaceflight Standard Measures, an experiment that tracks psychological and physiological data points. This research will branch off to collect astronaut information beyond low Earth orbit, deepening our understanding of how the body adapts to living and working far from Earth.

Organ-chip experiments use small devices containing cells to model how tissues and organs respond to space stressors and therapeutic treatments. These devices and their related hardware have been used in several experiments aboard the space station and will continue their legacy in the lunar environment to study the effects of deep space stressors on human health using cells from Artemis II astronauts. Organ-chip research could be used to develop improved prevention and personalized medical treatments for people on Earth and in space.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim takes a photo of Earth landmarks from the International Space Station’s cupola. Credit: NASA.NASA

Methods proven through Crew Earth Observations aboard space station are informing Crew Lunar Observations in support of Artemis II science and handheld imaging of the Moon. The crew will analyze and photograph geologic features on the lunar far side, providing critical information for Artemis III surface exploration. Frameworks from Earth observations, including target planning, visualization software, and scripts, have been adapted for lunar observations, shaping operations and preparing for future exploration missions.  

Small, cost-effective satellites called CubeSats are deployed from space station and other spacecraft to test new technologies and conduct scientific research in low Earth orbit. Building on this success, NASA is partnering with international agencies to deploy CubeSats aboard Artemis II for technology demonstrations and studies in high Earth orbit.

The space station remains a critical testbed for optimizing communications, robotics, and other technologies for missions to the Moon and Mars. Researchers also study the effects of spaceflight on people, develop tools to monitor crew health, and enhance plant growth to support astronaut safety and wellbeing.

As humans prepare to venture beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, we celebrate the space station and other NASA programs that walked so Artemis could run.

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Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2026 Related Terms

• ISS Research
• Artemis
• Humans in Space
• International Space Station (ISS)

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

International Space Station

Latest News from Space Station Research

Humans In Space

Artemis

A composite image shows the International Space Station as it transits the Moon. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyNASA/Joel Kowsky

Have you ever heard the saying, “You have to learn how to walk before you can run?” The same can be true in human space exploration. To push capabilities further and ensure safe, successful missions, NASA must test ideas and solve challenges ahead of time. While Earth-based research and engineering helps NASA progress through various challenges, it can’t fully replicate the space environment. That’s where the International Space Station comes in — an out-of-this-world laboratory where astronauts help prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

(From left) Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency); Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli, both from NASA; and Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), showing off crew active dosimeters used for radiation monitoring. Credit: NASANASA

Since 2000, NASA and its partners have used the orbiting laboratory to conduct groundbreaking research and collaborate to advance human exploration to the depths of our solar system. Research aboard the space station helped lay the foundation for the Orion spacecraft’s life support and safety systems, which will carry four astronauts around the Moon during the Artemis II mission. These systems include radiation sensing equipment, carbon dioxide removal systems, a water-based portable fire extinguisher, emergency fire masks, the toilet, a heat exchanger, and a backup emergency navigation system.

Artemis II also includes a set of science objectives, many rooted in research and methods pioneered aboard the space station. One example is Spaceflight Standard Measures, an experiment that tracks psychological and physiological data points. This research will branch off to collect astronaut information beyond low Earth orbit, deepening our understanding of how the body adapts to living and working far from Earth.

Organ-chip experiments use small devices containing cells to model how tissues and organs respond to space stressors and therapeutic treatments. These devices and their related hardware have been used in several experiments aboard the space station and will continue their legacy in the lunar environment to study the effects of deep space stressors on human health using cells from Artemis II astronauts. Organ-chip research could be used to develop improved prevention and personalized medical treatments for people on Earth and in space.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim takes a photo of Earth landmarks from the International Space Station’s cupola. Credit: NASA.NASA

Methods proven through Crew Earth Observations aboard space station are informing Crew Lunar Observations in support of Artemis II science and handheld imaging of the Moon. The crew will analyze and photograph geologic features on the lunar far side, providing critical information for Artemis III surface exploration. Frameworks from Earth observations, including target planning, visualization software, and scripts, have been adapted for lunar observations, shaping operations and preparing for future exploration missions.  

Small, cost-effective satellites called CubeSats are deployed from space station and other spacecraft to test new technologies and conduct scientific research in low Earth orbit. Building on this success, NASA is partnering with international agencies to deploy CubeSats aboard Artemis II for technology demonstrations and studies in high Earth orbit.

The space station remains a critical testbed for optimizing communications, robotics, and other technologies for missions to the Moon and Mars. Researchers also study the effects of spaceflight on people, develop tools to monitor crew health, and enhance plant growth to support astronaut safety and wellbeing.

As humans prepare to venture beyond Earth’s orbit for the first time in more than 50 years, we celebrate the space station and other NASA programs that walked so Artemis could run.

Share

Details Last Updated Feb 06, 2026 Related Terms

• ISS Research
• Artemis
• Humans in Space
• International Space Station (ISS)

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

International Space Station

Latest News from Space Station Research

Humans In Space

Artemis

NASA has taken another step towards greater autonomy for planetary exploration rovers. In December, the space agency used AI to generate waypoints for Perseverance's route on two separate days. The rover drove more than 450 meters without human input.

The New York metropolitan area was showing the effects of a prolonged cold spell in late January 2026. During a stretch of frigid weather, ice choked the Hudson River along Manhattan’s western shore.

Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

During a stretch of frigid weather in late January 2026, ice choked the Hudson River along Manhattan’s western shore. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this image of the wintry landscape around midday on Jan. 28. This image uses representational color to distinguish ice (light blue) from open water and snow. Vegetation appears red.

Much of the ice in the image likely floated there from farther upriver, where tidal currents are weaker and salinity is lower. These conditions allow water to freeze sooner and at higher temperatures than the faster-flowing, brackish water near the river’s mouth, shown here.

Read more about the effects of river ice and how scientists track waterways.

Text credit: Lindsey Doermann

Image credit: Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

During a stretch of frigid weather in late January 2026, ice choked the Hudson River along Manhattan’s western shore. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this image of the wintry landscape around midday on Jan. 28. This image uses representational color to distinguish ice (light blue) from open water and snow. Vegetation appears red.

Much of the ice in the image likely floated there from farther upriver, where tidal currents are weaker and salinity is lower. These conditions allow water to freeze sooner and at higher temperatures than the faster-flowing, brackish water near the river’s mouth, shown here.

Read more about the effects of river ice and how scientists track waterways.

Text credit: Lindsey Doermann

Image credit: Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

Origami and space exploration might not seem like they have much in common, but the traditional paper-folding technique solves one massive problem for space exploration missions - volume. Satellites and probes that launch in rocket housings are constrained by very restrictive requirements about their physical size, and options for assembling larger structures in orbit are limited to say the least. Anything that can fold up like an origami structure and then expand out to reach a fully functional size is welcome in the space community, and a new paper published in Communications Engineering by Xin Ning of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and his lab describes a novel use case for the idea - electromagnetic waveguides.

Video: 00:01:21

For its most powerful flight yet, Ariane 6 lifts off for the first time with four boosters.

Designed for versatility, Ariane 6 can adapt to each mission: flying with two boosters for lighter payloads, or four boosters when more power is needed.

In its four-booster configuration, Ariane 6 can carry larger and heavier spacecraft into orbit, enabling some of Europe’s most ambitious missions — from science missions like PLATO to exploration systems such as Argonaut.

A major theme in communist governments is the idea of central planning. Every five years, the central authorities in communist countries lay out their goals for the country over the course of the next five years, which can range from limiting infant mortality to increasing agricultural yield. China, the largest current polity ruled by communists, recently released its fifteenth five-year plan, which lays out its priorities for 2026-2030. This one, accompanied by a press release of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s state-owned giant aerospace corporation, has plenty of ambitious goals for its space sector.

Astronomers have discovered three still-growing galaxy clusters in the early universe that point to a faster track of evolution than expected.

The post Infant Galaxy Clusters Grew Faster Than Expected appeared first on Sky & Telescope.