Feed aggregator

Young protostars populate the cloudy regions in the Orion Molecular Cloud complex in these images from the Hubble Space Telescope. Three of the telescope's new images are part of a scientific effort to understand the gaseous, dusty envelopes around protostars. Scientists know that these young stars have powerful stellar winds and jets that carve caverns and bubbles out of the surrounding gas, but they have unanswered questions about that process.

Longevity diets often focus on going plant-based, but a study in China has linked eating meat to a long lifespan, particularly among older people who are underweight

Longevity diets often focus on going plant-based, but a study in China has linked eating meat to a long lifespan, particularly among older people who are underweight

Professional mathematicians have been stunned by the progress amateurs have made in solving long-standing problems with the assistance of AI tools, and say it could lead to a new way of doing mathematics

Professional mathematicians have been stunned by the progress amateurs have made in solving long-standing problems with the assistance of AI tools, and say it could lead to a new way of doing mathematics

If your New Year’s resolution is to understand quantum computing this year, take a cue from a 9-year-old podcaster talking to some of the biggest minds in the field, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

If your New Year’s resolution is to understand quantum computing this year, take a cue from a 9-year-old podcaster talking to some of the biggest minds in the field, says quantum columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

5 Min Read Out of This World Discoveries: Space Station Research in 2025

As Earth completed its orbit around the Sun to close out 2025, the International Space Station circled our planet more than 5,800 times. Serving as humanity’s unique laboratory in space, the station has hosted thousands of experiments and technology demonstrations, advancing science in ways that cannot be replicated on Earth.

In 2025 alone, more than 750 experiments supported exploration missions, improved life on Earth, and opened commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. The space station continues to drive innovation by enabling human exploration of the Moon and Mars, transforming medical research, deepening our understanding of the universe, and fostering a growing commercial economy.

Read through just a handful of 2025’s innovative research achievements from the orbiting laboratory.

25 Years of humans researching in orbit The International Space Station photographed in 2000 by the Expedition 1 crew.NASA

On Nov. 2, 2025, humanity reached a milestone of cosmic proportions: 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Since the first crew arrived on Nov. 2, 2000, NASA and its partners from around the world have conducted more than 4,000 research investigations and technology demonstrations. More than 290 people from 26 countries have visited the space station, where continuous human presence enables research that surpasses the capabilities of satellites and autonomous platforms. The space station’s unique microgravity environment, paired with crew operations, continues to unlock discoveries and push the boundaries of humanity’s curiosity and innovation.

A breakthrough cancer treatment ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet conducts research aboard the International Space Station supporting the advancement of cancer therapeutics.NASA

Research aboard the International Space Station helped inform the development of a newly FDA-approved injectable medication used to treat several types of early-stage cancers. The research yielded early insights into the structure and size of particles needed to develop the medication through protein crystal growth experiments. This new delivery method promises to lower costs and significantly reduce treatment time for patients and healthcare providers, while maintaining drug efficiency. Microgravity research can produce higher-quality, medically relevant crystals than Earth-based labs, enabling these types of medical advances. These developments showcase how space station research can drive innovation, improve lives, and foster commercial opportunities.

Medical implants printed in orbit Eight medical devices for peripheral nerve repair were printed simultaneously aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Auxilium Biotechnologies.

Eight medical implants designed to support nerve regeneration were successfully 3D printed aboard the International Space Station for preclinical trials on Earth. When nerve damage occurs, these types of implants are designed to improve blood flow and enable targeted drug delivery. Printing in microgravity can prevent particle settling, resulting in more uniform and stable structures. In-space manufacturing is helping to advance medical treatments and other technologies while also enabling astronauts to print devices and tools on demand during future missions.

Learn more about InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter.

A new understanding of our Sun Using data from NASA’s CODEX (Coronal Diagnostic Experiment), this animated, color-coded heat map shows temperature changes of the Sun over the course of couple days, where red indicates hotter regions and purple indicates cooler ones.NASA/KASI/INAF/CODEX Dextre, attached to the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, carries CODEX.NASA

A solar coronagraph aboard the International Space Station captured its first unique images detailing the Sun’s outer atmosphere while measuring  solar wind temperature and speed. The instrument blocks the Sun’s bright light to reveal its faint outer atmosphere, or corona, where solar wind originates. Earlier experiments focused on the corona’s density, but this new device enables the study of what heats and accelerates the solar wind, offering a more complete picture of how energy moves through the Sun’s atmosphere. These observations help researchers understand how solar activity affects Earth and space-based technology, such as satellites, communications networks, and power systems.

Learn more about CODEX.

Hunting for microscopic space travelers NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore works outside the International Space Station on Jan. 30, 2025, during a five-hour and 26-minute spacewalk.NASA

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore collected microbiological samples during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Samples were taken near the life support system vents to see if the orbital complex releases microorganisms. This experiment helps researchers examine if and how these microorganisms survive and reproduce in the harsh space environment, as well as how they may behave at destinations such as the Moon and Mars. After returning to Earth, the samples underwent DNA extraction and sequencing. Another round of collections is planned for future spacewalks. The data could help determine whether changes are needed on crewed spacecraft and spacesuits to reduce biocontamination during missions to explore destinations where life may exist now or in the past.

Learn more about ISS External Microorganisms.

A fully docked space station Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft is grappled by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2. In the background, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft is docked to the orbital complex.NASA The International Space Station visiting spacecraft configuration on Dec.1, 2025 showing eight spacecraft parked at the orbital complex.NASA

For the first time in International Space Station history, all eight docking ports of the orbiting laboratory were occupied at once. Three crew spacecraft and five cargo resupply craft were attached to station, including JAXA’s new cargo vehicle HTV-X1 and Northrup Grumman’s new Cygnus XL. The eight spacecraft delivered astronauts, cargo, and scientific experiments from around the world to be conducted in the unique microgravity environment. This milestone highlights the space station’s evolution, inviting commercial partners and international collaboration to continue expanding the orbiting laboratory’s research capabilities.

Space station research meets the Moon’s surface NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) is shown mounted to the International Space Station in the image on the left, and LEXI (right) is shown attached to the top of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost in an artist’s concept.NASA/Firefly Aerospace

Three experiments that landed on the Moon during Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission-1 were enabled by earlier research aboard the International Space Station. These studies help improve space weather monitoring, test computer recovery from radiation damage, and advance lunar navigation systems. The orbiting laboratory continues to lay the foundation for missions beyond low Earth orbit, driving exploration deeper into space. 

Learn more.  

The space station continues to deliver out-of-this-world achievements that cannot be replicated on Earth. Its research capabilities are a springboard for humanity’s future in innovation and testing the limits of what’s possible.

Here’s to 2026 — another year of defying physics and pushing the boundaries of science and exploration.

Share

Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 Related Terms

• ISS Research
• Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX)
• Human Research Program
• Humans in Space
• International Space Station (ISS)

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Latest News from Space Station Research

Humans In Space

Space Station Research Results

International Space Station

5 Min Read Out of This World Discoveries: Space Station Research in 2025

As Earth completed its orbit around the Sun to close out 2025, the International Space Station circled our planet more than 5,800 times. Serving as humanity’s unique laboratory in space, the station has hosted thousands of experiments and technology demonstrations, advancing science in ways that cannot be replicated on Earth.

In 2025 alone, more than 750 experiments supported exploration missions, improved life on Earth, and opened commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. The space station continues to drive innovation by enabling human exploration of the Moon and Mars, transforming medical research, deepening our understanding of the universe, and fostering a growing commercial economy.

Read through just a handful of 2025’s innovative research achievements from the orbiting laboratory.

25 Years of humans researching in orbit The International Space Station photographed in 2000 by the Expedition 1 crew.NASA

On Nov. 2, 2025, humanity reached a milestone of cosmic proportions: 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Since the first crew arrived on Nov. 2, 2000, NASA and its partners from around the world have conducted more than 4,000 research investigations and technology demonstrations. More than 290 people from 26 countries have visited the space station, where continuous human presence enables research that surpasses the capabilities of satellites and autonomous platforms. The space station’s unique microgravity environment, paired with crew operations, continues to unlock discoveries and push the boundaries of humanity’s curiosity and innovation.

A breakthrough cancer treatment ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet conducts research aboard the International Space Station supporting the advancement of cancer therapeutics.NASA

Research aboard the International Space Station helped inform the development of a newly FDA-approved injectable medication used to treat several types of early-stage cancers. The research yielded early insights into the structure and size of particles needed to develop the medication through protein crystal growth experiments. This new delivery method promises to lower costs and significantly reduce treatment time for patients and healthcare providers, while maintaining drug efficiency. Microgravity research can produce higher-quality, medically relevant crystals than Earth-based labs, enabling these types of medical advances. These developments showcase how space station research can drive innovation, improve lives, and foster commercial opportunities.

Medical implants printed in orbit Eight medical devices for peripheral nerve repair were printed simultaneously aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Auxilium Biotechnologies.

Eight medical implants designed to support nerve regeneration were successfully 3D printed aboard the International Space Station for preclinical trials on Earth. When nerve damage occurs, these types of implants are designed to improve blood flow and enable targeted drug delivery. Printing in microgravity can prevent particle settling, resulting in more uniform and stable structures. In-space manufacturing is helping to advance medical treatments and other technologies while also enabling astronauts to print devices and tools on demand during future missions.

Learn more about InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter.

A new understanding of our Sun Using data from NASA’s CODEX (Coronal Diagnostic Experiment), this animated, color-coded heat map shows temperature changes of the Sun over the course of couple days, where red indicates hotter regions and purple indicates cooler ones.NASA/KASI/INAF/CODEX Dextre, attached to the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, carries CODEX.NASA

A solar coronagraph aboard the International Space Station captured its first unique images detailing the Sun’s outer atmosphere while measuring  solar wind temperature and speed. The instrument blocks the Sun’s bright light to reveal its faint outer atmosphere, or corona, where solar wind originates. Earlier experiments focused on the corona’s density, but this new device enables the study of what heats and accelerates the solar wind, offering a more complete picture of how energy moves through the Sun’s atmosphere. These observations help researchers understand how solar activity affects Earth and space-based technology, such as satellites, communications networks, and power systems.

Learn more about CODEX.

Hunting for microscopic space travelers NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore works outside the International Space Station on Jan. 30, 2025, during a five-hour and 26-minute spacewalk.NASA

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore collected microbiological samples during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Samples were taken near the life support system vents to see if the orbital complex releases microorganisms. This experiment helps researchers examine if and how these microorganisms survive and reproduce in the harsh space environment, as well as how they may behave at destinations such as the Moon and Mars. After returning to Earth, the samples underwent DNA extraction and sequencing. Another round of collections is planned for future spacewalks. The data could help determine whether changes are needed on crewed spacecraft and spacesuits to reduce biocontamination during missions to explore destinations where life may exist now or in the past.

Learn more about ISS External Microorganisms.

A fully docked space station Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft is grappled by the International Space Station’s Canadarm2. In the background, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1 cargo craft is docked to the orbital complex.NASA The International Space Station visiting spacecraft configuration on Dec.1, 2025 showing eight spacecraft parked at the orbital complex.NASA

For the first time in International Space Station history, all eight docking ports of the orbiting laboratory were occupied at once. Three crew spacecraft and five cargo resupply craft were attached to station, including JAXA’s new cargo vehicle HTV-X1 and Northrup Grumman’s new Cygnus XL. The eight spacecraft delivered astronauts, cargo, and scientific experiments from around the world to be conducted in the unique microgravity environment. This milestone highlights the space station’s evolution, inviting commercial partners and international collaboration to continue expanding the orbiting laboratory’s research capabilities.

Space station research meets the Moon’s surface NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) is shown mounted to the International Space Station in the image on the left, and LEXI (right) is shown attached to the top of Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost in an artist’s concept.NASA/Firefly Aerospace

Three experiments that landed on the Moon during Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission-1 were enabled by earlier research aboard the International Space Station. These studies help improve space weather monitoring, test computer recovery from radiation damage, and advance lunar navigation systems. The orbiting laboratory continues to lay the foundation for missions beyond low Earth orbit, driving exploration deeper into space. 

Learn more.  

The space station continues to deliver out-of-this-world achievements that cannot be replicated on Earth. Its research capabilities are a springboard for humanity’s future in innovation and testing the limits of what’s possible.

Here’s to 2026 — another year of defying physics and pushing the boundaries of science and exploration.

Share

Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 Related Terms

• ISS Research
• Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX)
• Human Research Program
• Humans in Space
• International Space Station (ISS)

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA

Latest News from Space Station Research

Humans In Space

Space Station Research Results

International Space Station

As we prepare for missions beyond Earth orbit, one crucial challenge remains: keeping astronauts healthy in microgravity. Without daily exercise, their muscles, bones and cardiovascular systems weaken, which could impact mission success and astronaut safety, especially in destinations such as the Moon or Mars, where crew will have to operate autonomously immediately after landing.

NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA’s Crawler-transporter 2 moves toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The crawler will transport NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B ahead of the Artemis II launch which will journey Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.

The crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 50 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, the crawler-transporters stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space; Crawler-transporter 2 in particular is integral to the Artemis missions.

Image credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA’s Crawler-transporter 2 moves toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The crawler will transport NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B ahead of the Artemis II launch which will journey Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen from the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), around the Moon and back to Earth no later than April 2026.

The crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 50 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, the crawler-transporters stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space; Crawler-transporter 2 in particular is integral to the Artemis missions.

Image credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 moves toward the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. The crawler will transport NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B ahead of the Artemis II launch.

Week in images: 12-16 January 2026

Discover our week through the lens

Volunteers consider it relatively unacceptable to cancel social plans – but they are more forgiving if it's someone else cancelling the plans

Volunteers consider it relatively unacceptable to cancel social plans – but they are more forgiving if it's someone else cancelling the plans

Jupiter with the Great Red Spot

Explore Hubble

• Hubble Home
• Overview
• Impact & Benefits
• Science
• Observatory
• Team
• Multimedia
• News
• More

2 min read

Hubble Observes Ghostly Cloud Alive with Star Formation A seemingly serene landscape of gas and dust is hopping with star formation behind the scenes.NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Download this image (84.5 MB)

While this eerie NASA Hubble Space Telescope image may look ghostly, it’s actually full of new life. Lupus 3 is a star-forming cloud about 500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. 

White wisps of gas swirl throughout the region, and in the lower-left corner resides a dark dust cloud. Bright T Tauri stars shine at the left, bottom right, and upper center, while other young stellar objects dot the image.

T Tauri stars are actively forming stars in a specific stage of formation. In this stage, the enveloping gas and dust dissipates from radiation and stellar winds, or outflows of particles from the emerging star. T Tauri stars are typically less than 10 million years old and vary in brightness both randomly and periodically due to the environment and nature of a forming star. The random variations may be due to instabilities in the accretion disk of dust and gas around the star, material from that disk falling onto the star and being consumed, and flares on the star’s surface. The more regular, periodic changes may be caused by giant sunspots rotating in and out of view. 

T Tauri stars are in the process of contracting under the force of gravity as they become main sequence stars which fuse hydrogen to helium in their cores. Studying these stars can help astronomers better understand the star formation process.

New images added every day between January 12-17, 2026! Follow @NASAHubble on social media for the latest Hubble images and news and see Hubble’s Stellar Construction Zones for more images of young stellar objects.

Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Explore More Exploring the Birth of Stars Hubble’s Nebulae Hubble’s Star Clusters

Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

Share

Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 LocationNASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms

• Hubble Space Telescope
• Astrophysics
• Astrophysics Division
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Protostars
• Stars
• The Universe

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Hubble’s Stellar Construction Zones

Explore the Night Sky

Hubble News

Explore Hubble

• Hubble Home
• Overview
• Impact & Benefits
• Science
• Observatory
• Team
• Multimedia
• News
• More

2 min read

Hubble Observes Ghostly Cloud Alive with Star Formation A seemingly serene landscape of gas and dust is hopping with star formation behind the scenes.NASA, ESA, and K. Stapelfeldt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Download this image (84.5 MB)

While this eerie NASA Hubble Space Telescope image may look ghostly, it’s actually full of new life. Lupus 3 is a star-forming cloud about 500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. 

White wisps of gas swirl throughout the region, and in the lower-left corner resides a dark dust cloud. Bright T Tauri stars shine at the left, bottom right, and upper center, while other young stellar objects dot the image.

T Tauri stars are actively forming stars in a specific stage of formation. In this stage, the enveloping gas and dust dissipates from radiation and stellar winds, or outflows of particles from the emerging star. T Tauri stars are typically less than 10 million years old and vary in brightness both randomly and periodically due to the environment and nature of a forming star. The random variations may be due to instabilities in the accretion disk of dust and gas around the star, material from that disk falling onto the star and being consumed, and flares on the star’s surface. The more regular, periodic changes may be caused by giant sunspots rotating in and out of view. 

T Tauri stars are in the process of contracting under the force of gravity as they become main sequence stars which fuse hydrogen to helium in their cores. Studying these stars can help astronomers better understand the star formation process.

New images added every day between January 12-17, 2026! Follow @NASAHubble on social media for the latest Hubble images and news and see Hubble’s Stellar Construction Zones for more images of young stellar objects.

Facebook logo @NASAHubble @NASAHubble Instagram logo @NASAHubble Explore More Exploring the Birth of Stars Hubble’s Nebulae Hubble’s Star Clusters

Media Contact:

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

Share

Details Last Updated Jan 16, 2026 LocationNASA Goddard Space Flight Center Related Terms

• Hubble Space Telescope
• Astrophysics
• Astrophysics Division
• Goddard Space Flight Center
• Protostars
• Stars
• The Universe

Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From Hubble Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Hubble’s Stellar Construction Zones

Explore the Night Sky

Hubble News

Additive Manufacturing, more commonly known as 3D printing, will be an absolutely critical technology for any long-term settlement on another world. Its ability to take a generic input, such as plastic strips or metal powder, and turn it into any shape of tool an astronaut will need is an absolute game changer. But the chemistry behind these technologies is complicated, and their applications are extremely varied, ranging from creating bricks for settlements to plastics for everything from cups to toothbrush holders. A new paper available in pre-print on arXiv from Zane Mebruer and Wan Shou of the University of Arkansas, explores one specific aspect of a particularly important type of 3D printing, and realized that they could save millions of dollars on Mars missions by simply using the planet’s atmosphere to help print metal parts.