In 2025, NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, advanced work across aeronautics, Earth science, exploration technologies, and emerging aviation systems, reinforcing its role as one of the agency’s primary test sites for aeronautics research. From early concept evaluations to full flight test campaigns, teams enhanced measurement tools, refined safety systems, and generated data that supported missions across NASA. Operating from the Mojave Desert, NASA Armstrong continued applying engineering design with real-world performance, carrying forward research that informs how aircraft operate today and how new systems may function in the future.

The year’s progress also reflects the people behind the work – engineers, technicians, pilots, operators, and mission support staff who navigate complex tests and ensure each mission advances safely and deliberately. Their efforts strengthened partnerships with industry, small businesses, and universities while expanding opportunities for students and early career professionals. Together they sustained NASA Armstrong’s long-standing identity as a center where innovation is proven in flight and where research helps chart the course for future aviation and exploration.

“We executed our mission work safely, including flight of the first piloted NASA X-plane in decades, while under challenging conditions,” said Brad Flick, center director of NASA Armstrong. “It tells me our people embrace the work we do and are willing to maintain high levels of professionalism while enduring personal stress and uncertainty. It’s a testimony to the dedication of our NASA and contractor workforce.”

Teams continued advancing key projects, supporting partners, and generating data that contributes to NASA’s broader mission.

Quiet supersonic flight and the Quesst mission

NASA Armstrong continued its quiet supersonic research, completing a series of activities in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. On the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft, the team performed electromagnetic interference tests and ran engine checks to prepare the aircraft for taxi tests. The Schlieren, Airborne Measurements, and Range Operations for Quesst (SCHAMROQ) team completed aircraft integration and shock-sensing probe calibration flights, refining the tools needed to characterize shock waves from the X-59. These efforts supported the aircraft’s progression toward its first flight on Oct. 28, marking a historic milestone and the beginning of its transition to NASA Armstrong for continued testing.

The center’s Commercial Supersonic Technology (CST) team also conducted airborne validation flights using NASA F-15s, confirming measurement systems essential for Quesst’s next research phase. Together, this work forms the technical backbone for upcoming community response studies, where NASA will evaluate whether quieter supersonic thumps could support future commercial applications.

• The X-59 team completed electromagnetic interference testing on the aircraft, verifying system performance and confirming that all its systems could reliably operate together.
• NASA’s X-59 engine testing concluded with a maximum afterburner test that demonstrated the engine’s ability to generate the thrust required for supersonic flight.
• Engineers conducted engine speed-hold evaluations to assess how the X-59’s engine responds under sustained throttle conditions, generating data used to refine control settings for upcoming flight profiles.
• NASA Armstrong’s SCHAMROQ team calibrated a second shock-sensing probe to expand measurement capability for future quiet supersonic flight research.
• NASA Armstrong’s CST team validated the tools that will gather airborne data in support the second phase of the agency’s Quesst mission.
• NASA’s X-59 team advanced preparations on the aircraft through taxi tests, ensuring aircraft handling systems performed correctly ahead of its first flight.
• NASA Armstrong’s photo and video team documented X-59 taxi tests as the aircraft moved under its own power for the first time.
• The X-59 team evaluated braking, steering, and integrated systems performance after the completion of the aircraft’s low-speed taxi tests marking one of the final steps before flight.
• NASA Armstrong teams advanced the X-59 toward first flight by prioritizing safety at every step, completing checks, evaluations, and system verifications to ensure the aircraft was ready when the team was confident it could move forward.
• NASA and the Lockheed Martin contractor team completed the X-59’s historic first flight, delivering the aircraft to NASA Armstrong for the start of its next phase of research.

Ultra-efficient and high-speed aircraft research

Across aeronautics programs, Armstrong supported work that strengthens NASA’s ability to study sustainable, efficient, and high-performance aircraft. Teams conducted aerodynamic measurements and improved test-article access for instrumentation, enabling more precise evaluations of advanced aircraft concepts. Engineers continued developing tools and techniques to study aircraft performance under high-speed and high-temperature conditions, supporting research in hypersonic flight.

• The Sustainable Flight Demonstrator research team measured airflow over key wing surfaces in a series of wind tunnel tests, generating data used to refine future sustainable aircraft designs.
• Technicians at NASA Armstrong installed a custom structural floor inside the X-66 demonstrator, improving access for instrumentation work and enabling more efficient modification and evaluation.
• Armstrong engineers advanced high-speed research by maturing an optical measurement system that tracks heat and structural strain during hypersonic flight, supporting future test missions.

Transforming air mobility and new aviation systems

NASA Armstrong supported multiple aspects of the nation’s growing air mobility ecosystem. Researchers conducted tests and evaluations to better understand aircraft performance, airflow, and passenger experience. Additional work included assessing drone-based inspection techniques, developing advanced communication networks, performing drop tests, and refining methods to evaluate emerging mobility aircraft.

These studies support NASA’s broader goal of integrating new electric, autonomous, and hybrid aircraft safely into the national airspace.

• A small business partnership demonstrated drone-based inspection techniques that could reduce maintenance time and improve safety for commercial aircraft operations.
• NASA Armstrong researchers tested air traffic surveillance technology against the demands of air taxis flying at low altitudes through densely populated cities, using the agency’s Pilatus PC-12 to support safer air traffic operations.
• Researchers at NASA Armstrong collected airflow data from Joby using a ground array of sensors to examine how its circular wind patterns might affect electric air taxi performance in future urban operations.
• NASA Armstrong’s Ride Quality Laboratory conducted air taxi passenger comfort studies in support of the agency’s Advanced Air Mobility mission to better understand how motion, vibration, and other factors affect ride comfort, informing the industry’s development of electric air taxis and drones.

Earth observation and environmental research

Earth science campaigns at NASA Armstrong contributed to the agency’s ability to monitor environmental changes and improve satellite data accuracy. Researchers tested precision navigation systems that keep high-speed aircraft on path, supporting more accurate atmospheric and climate surveys. Airborne measurements and drone flights documented wildfire behavior, smoke transport, and post-fire impacts while gathering temperature, humidity, and airflow data during controlled burns. These efforts also supported early-stage technology demonstrations, evaluating new wildfire sensing tools under real flight conditions to advance fire response research. High-altitude aircraft contributed to missions that improved satellite calibration, refined atmospheric measurements, and supported snowpack and melt studies to enhance regional water-resource forecasting.

• Researchers at NASA Armstrong tested a new precision‑navigation system that can keep high‑speed research aircraft on exact flight paths, enabling more accurate Earth science data collection during airborne environmental and climate‑survey missions.
• NASA’s B200 King Air flew over wildfire‑affected regions equipped with the Compact Fire Infrared Radiance Spectral Tracker (c‑FIRST), collecting thermal‑infrared data to study wildfire behavior, smoke spread, and post‑fire ecological impacts in near real time.
• NASA Armstrong’s Alta X drone carried a 3D wind sensor and a radiosonde to measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and airflow during a prescribed burn in Geneva State Forest, gathering data to help improve wildland fire behavior models and support firefighting agencies.
• NASA’s ER‑2 aircraft carried the Airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance (air-LUSI) instrument on night flights, measuring moonlight reflectance to generate calibration data – improving the accuracy of Earth‑observing satellite measurements.
• The center’s ER-2 also flew above cloud layers with specialized instrumentation to collect atmospheric and cloud measurements. These data help validate and refine Earth observing satellite retrievals, improving climate, weather, and aerosol observations.
• Airborne campaigns at NASA Armstrong measured snowpack and melt patterns in the western U.S., providing data to improve water-resource forecasting for local communities.

Exploration technology and Artemis support

NASA Armstrong supported exploration technologies that will contribute to agency’s return to the Moon and future missions deeper into the solar system, including sending the first astronauts – American astronauts – to Mars. Teams advanced sensor systems and conducted high-altitude drop tests to capture critical performance data, supporting the need for precise entry, descent, and landing capabilities on future planetary missions.

Contributions from NASA Armstrong also strengthen the systems and technologies that help make Artemis – the agency’s top priority – safer, more reliable, and more scientifically productive, supporting a sustained human presence on the Moon and preparing for future human exploration of Mars.

• The EPIC team at NASA Armstrong conducted research flights to advance sensor technology for supersonic parachute deployments, evaluating performance during high-speed, high-altitude drops relevant to future planetary missions.
• Imagery from the EPIC test flights at NASA Armstrong highlights the parachute system’s high-altitude deployment sequence and demonstrated its potential for future Mars delivery concepts.

People, workforce, and community engagement

The center expanded outreach, education, and workforce development efforts throughout the year. Students visited NASA Armstrong for hands-on exposure to careers in aeronautics, while staff and volunteers supported a regional robotics competition that encouraged exploration of the field. Educators brought aeronautics concepts directly into classrooms across the region, and interns from around the country gained experience supporting real flight research projects.

NASA Armstrong also highlighted unique career pathways and recognized employees whose work showcases the human side of NASA missions. A youth aviation program launched with a regional museum provided additional opportunities for young learners to explore flight science, further strengthening the center’s community impact:

• Students from Palmdale High School Engineering Club visited NASA Armstrong, where staff engaged with them to explore facilities, discuss aerospace work, and promote STEM careers as part of the center’s community outreach.
• NASA Armstrong staff and volunteers mentored high school teams at the 2025 Aerospace Valley FIRST Robotics Competition, helping students build and test robots and providing hands-on experience with engineering to foster interest in STEM careers.
• In April, NASA Armstrong expanded outreach in 2025 by bringing aeronautics concepts to students through classroom workshops, presentations, and hands-on activities, giving young learners direct exposure to NASA research and inspiring possible future careers in science and engineering.
• Students from across the country participated in internships at NASA Armstrong, gaining hands-on experience in flight research and operations while contributing to real-world aerospace projects.
• In May, a NASA Armstrong videographer earned national recognition for work that highlights the people behind the center’s research missions, showing how scientists, engineers, and flight crews collaborate to advance aeronautics and space exploration.
• Daniel Eng, a systems engineer with NASA’s Air Mobility Pathfinders project, shared his career path from the garment industry to aerospace, illustrating how diverse experiences contribute to the center’s technical workforce and support its advanced flight research and engineering projects.
• In June, NASA Armstrong recognized one of its interns for hands-on work with the center’s aircraft. With more than a decade in the auto industry, they demonstrated how early career engineers can gain real-world experience and develop skills for careers in aerospace and flight research.
• NASA Armstrong partnered with a regional museum to create a youth aviation program that introduces students to flight science and operations, providing hands-on learning opportunities and inspiring interest in aerospace and STEM careers.

Center infrastructure and research capabilities

Facility improvements and new platforms strengthened NASA Armstrong’s research capabilities. A rooftop operation removed a historic telemetry pedestal to make way for updated infrastructure, while preserving an important artifact of the center’s flight test heritage. Engineers also completed a new subscale research aircraft, providing a flexible, cost-effective platform for evaluating aerodynamics, instrumentation, and flight control concepts in preparation for full-scale testing:

• The center improved workspace access and supported a re-roofing project during a helicopter crew operation that removed a 2,500-pound telemetry pedestal from a building rooftop, preserving a piece of the center’s flight history heritage.
• Engineers at NASA Armstrong built a new subscale experimental aircraft to replace the center’s aging MicroCub. The 14-foot wingspan, 60-pound aircraft provides a flexible, cost-effective platform for testing aerodynamics, instrumentation, and flight control concepts while reducing risk before full-scale or crewed flight tests.

Looking ahead

NASA Armstrong will continue advancing flight research across aeronautics and Earth science, building on this year’s achievements. Upcoming efforts include additional X-59 flights, expanded quiet supersonic studies, new air mobility evaluations, high-altitude science campaigns, and maturing technologies that support hypersonic research and the Artemis program for future planetary missions.

“Next year will be a year of continuity, but also change,” Flick said. “The agency’s new Administrator, Jared Isaacman, will bring a renewed mission-first focus to the agency, and NASA Armstrong will push the boundaries of what’s possible. But the most important thing we can do is safely and successfully execute our portfolio of work within budget and schedule.”

For more than seven decades, NASA Armstrong has strengthened the nation’s understanding of flight. This year’s work builds on that legacy, helping shape the future of aviation and exploration through research proven in the air.

To explore more about NASA Armstrong’s missions, research, and discoveries, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/armstrong

The four astronauts set to fly around the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II test flight depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, during a dress rehearsal for launch day on Dec. 20, 2025. From left are CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.

The launch day rehearsal, called a countdown demonstration test, simulated the launch day timeline, including the crew suiting up in their spacesuits and climbing in and out of their Orion spacecraft. Because the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket upon which they will launch is not yet at the launch pad, the crew boarded Orion inside Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building, where engineers are conducting final preparations on the spacecraft, rocket, and ground systems.  

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

Photo Credit: NASA/Jim Ross

Written by Noah Martin, Ph.D. student and Candice Bedford, Research Scientist at Purdue University

While much of Perseverance’s work focuses on ancient rocks that record Mars’ long-lost rivers and lakes, megaripples offer a rare opportunity to examine processes that are still shaping the surface today. Megaripples are sand ripples up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall that are mainly built and modified by wind. However, when water in the atmosphere interacts with dust on the ripple surface, a salty, dusty crust can form. When this happens, it is much harder for the wind to move or shape the megaripple. As such, megaripples on Mars are largely considered inactive, standing as records of past wind regimes and atmospheric water interactions over time. However, some have shown signs of movement, and it is possible that periods of high wind speeds may erode or reactivate these deposits again.

Despite Mars’ thin atmosphere today (2% of the Earth’s atmospheric density), wind is one of the main drivers of change at the surface, eroding local bedrock into sand-sized grains and transporting these grains across the ripple field. As a result, megaripple studies help us understand how wind has shaped the surface in Mars’ most recent history and support planning for future human missions, as the chemistry and cohesion of Martian soils will influence everything from mobility to resource extraction.

Following the successful investigation of the dusty, inactive megaripples at “Kerrlaguna,” Perseverance recently explored a more expansive field of megaripples called “Honeyguide.” This region hosts some of the largest megaripples Perseverance has seen along its traverse so far, making it an ideal location for a comprehensive study of these features. The megaripples at “Honeyguide” rise higher, extend farther, and have sharply defined crests with more uniform orientation compared to those at “Kerrlaguna.” The consistent orientation of the megaripples at “Honeyguide” suggests that winds in this area have blown predominantly from the same direction (north-south) for a long period of time.

At “Honeyguide,” Perseverance studied the “Hazyview” megaripple, where over 50 observations were taken across the SuperCam, Mastcam-Z, MEDA, PIXL and WATSON instruments, looking for grain movement, signs of early morning frost, and changes in mineralogy from crest to trough. The investigation of the “Hazyview” bedform builds directly on the results from “Kerrlaguna” and represents the most detailed look yet at these intriguing wind-formed deposits. As Perseverance continues its journey on the crater rim, these observations will provide a valuable reference for interpreting other wind-blown features and for understanding how Mars continues to change, one grain of sand at a time.

As part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission, four crew members from three space agencies will launch no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, and will be accompanied by ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will both serve as mission specialists. Crew-12 will join Expedition 74 crew members currently aboard the space station.

The flight is the 12th crew rotation with SpaceX to the orbiting laboratory as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Crew-12 will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as benefit people on Earth.

This will be the second flight to the space station for Meir, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013. The Caribou, Maine, native earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University, a master’s degree in space studies from the International Space University, and a doctorate in marine biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. On her first spaceflight, Meir spent 205 days as a flight engineer during Expedition 61/62, and she completed the first three all-woman spacewalks with fellow NASA astronaut Christina Koch, totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes outside of the station. Since then, she has served in various roles, including assistant to the chief astronaut for commercial crew (SpaceX), deputy for the Flight Integration Division, and assistant to the chief astronaut for the human landing system.

A commander in the United States Navy, Hathaway was selected as part of the 2021 astronaut candidate class. This will be Hathaway’s first spaceflight. The South Windsor, Connecticut, native holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and history from the U.S. Naval Academy and master’s degrees in flight dynamics from Cranfield University and national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College, respectively. Hathaway also is a graduate of the Empire Test Pilot’s School, Fixed Wing Class 70 in 2011. At the time of his selection, Hathaway was deployed aboard the USS Truman, serving as Strike Fighter Squadron 81’s prospective executive officer. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 different aircraft, including more than 500 carrier arrested landings and 39 combat missions.

The Crew-12 mission will be Adenot’s first spaceflight. Before her selection as an ESA astronaut in 2022, Adenot earned a degree in engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse, France, specializing in spacecraft and aircraft flight dynamics. She also earned a master’s degree in human factors engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. After earning her master’s degree, she became a helicopter cockpit design engineer at Airbus Helicopters and later served as a search and rescue pilot at Cazaux Air Base from 2008 to 2012. She then joined the High Authority Transport Squadron in Villacoublay, France, and served as a formation flight leader and mission captain from 2012 to 2017. Between 2019 and 2022, Adenot worked as a helicopter experimental test pilot in Cazaux Flight Test Center with DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement – the French Defence Procurement Agency). She has logged more than 3,000 hours flying 22 different helicopters.

This will be Fedyaev’s second long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory. He graduated from the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute in 2004, specializing in aircraft operations and air traffic organization, and earned qualifications as a pilot engineer. Prior to his selection as a cosmonaut, he served as deputy commander of an Ilyushin-38 aircraft unit in the Kamchatka Region, logging more than 600 flight hours and achieving the rank of second-class military pilot. Fedyaev was selected for the Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Corps in 2012 and has served as a test cosmonaut since 2014. In 2023, he flew to the space station as a mission specialist during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission, spending 186 days in orbit, as an Expedition 69 flight engineer. For his achievements, Fedyaev was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation and received the Yuri Gagarin Medal. 

For more than 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies concentrate on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing its resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Shaneequa Vereen
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov

NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston closed 2025 with major progress across human spaceflight, research, and exploration. From Artemis II mission preparations to science aboard the International Space Station, teams at Johnson helped prepare for future missions to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars.

Orion Stacked for Artemis II, Orion Mission Evaluation Room Unveiled 

As NASA prepares for the crewed Artemis II mission, a 10-day journey around the Moon and back in early 2026, teams at Johnson continue work to ensure the Orion spacecraft is flight-ready. The mission will carry NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 

In October, NASA completed stacking of the Orion spacecraft and launch abort system atop the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Following Orion stacking, teams completed testing critical communications systems between SLS and Orion, and confirmed the interfaces function properly between the rocket, Orion, and the ground systems. 

Teams also unveiled the Orion Mission Evaluation Room inside NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston. The new facility will support Artemis II by allowing engineers to monitor Orion spacecraft systems in real time and assess vehicle performance throughout the mission, strengthening flight operations beyond low Earth orbit. 

These milestones were made possible by teams across Johnson, including the Orion Program, Flight Operations Directorate, Systems Engineering and Integration Office, Crew and Thermal Systems Division, and the Human Health and Performance Directorate, working closely with other NASA centers and industry partners. 

Together, these accomplishments mark steady progress toward Artemis II and reflect the work underway across NASA to advance the next era of human spaceflight. 

Gateway Lunar Space Station

Together with international and industry partners, the Gateway Program continued progress toward building humanity’s first lunar space station. The powerhouse reached a major milestone this fall with its successful initial power on.

A Space Station Anniversary

On Nov. 2, 2025, NASA marked 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the space station. What began as a set of connected modules has grown into a cornerstone of international partnership, scientific discovery, and technology development in low Earth orbit.
For a quarter of century, the orbiting laboratory has supported research that advances human health, drives innovation, and prepares NASA for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

A truly global endeavor, the space station has been visited by more than 290 people from 26 countries and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The unique microgravity laboratory has hosted more than 4,000 experiments from over 5,000 researchers from 110 countries. The orbital outpost also is facilitating the growth of a commercial market in low Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation.

After 25 years of habitation, the space station remains a symbol of international cooperation and a proving ground for humanity’s next giant leaps.

Record-Breaking Spacewalks

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore began 2025 with two successful spacewalks, completing key maintenance and research tasks. Their work included removing an antenna assembly and collecting surface material samples for analysis at Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Services, or ARES, division.

With her latest spacewalks, Williams now holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalking time by a woman–62 hours and 6 minutes–placing her fourth among the most experienced spacewalkers.

NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers also conducted spacewalk operations, installing a mounting bracket to prepare for the future installation of an additional set of International Space Station Rollout Solar Arrays and relocating a space station communications antenna.

These achievements were made possible by countless Johnson teams across the International Space Station, Flight Operations Directorate, and Exploration Architecture, Integration, and Science Directorate.

Two Expeditions Take Flight

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 arrived at the space station on March 15 and returned to Earth on on Aug. 9. Crew-10 included NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—all of whom are trained pilots. Crew-9 also splashed down off Florida’s coast on March 18. 

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim launched aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft on April 8, marking his first mission to the space station. Expedition 73 officially began following the departure of NASA astronaut Don Pettit aboard Soyuz MS-26 on April 19. NASA astronaut Chris Williams then launched aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on Nov. 27 with Kim returning to Earth shortly after on Dec. 9, marking the start of Expedition 74.

NASA Selects 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class

NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates were introduced Sept. 22 following a competitive selection process of more than 8,000 applicants from across the United States. The class will complete nearly two years of training before becoming eligible for flight assignments supporting missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

When they graduate, they will join NASA’s active astronaut corps, advancing research aboard the space station and supporting Artemis missions that will carry human exploration farther than ever before.

A Year of Lunar Firsts

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 launched delivering 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon on March 2. The lander touched down near Mons Latreille in Mare Crisium, a basin on the near side of the Moon. Just days later on March 6, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission landed closer to the lunar South Pole than any previous lander.  

Part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and Artemis campaign, these lunar deliveries are helping scientists address challenges like lunar dust mitigation, resource utilization, and radiation tolerance. 

These milestones were made possible by the collaborative efforts of Johnson teams across NASA’s CLPS initiative, as well as the Engineering; Exploration Architecture, Integration, and Science; and Flight Operations directorates—along with support from other NASA centers. 

First Asteroid-Detecting Space Telescope Completes Testing

NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor—its first space-based telescope designed specifically for planetary defense—has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing in Johnson’s Space Environment Simulation Laboratory in Chamber A. 

Set to launch no earlier than late 2027, NEO Surveyor will seek out, measure, and characterize hard-to-detect asteroids and comets that could pose a hazard to Earth. The spacecraft is now at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for continued development. 

Explore the capabilities and scientific work enabled by the thermal testing conducted in Johnson’s Chamber A. 

These achievements were made possible by countless Johnson teams across the ARES Division and Engineering Directorate. 

First Houston AutoBoative Show

For the first time, NASA rolled out its Artemis exhibit at the Houston AutoBoative Show at NRG Center from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2. Johnson employees introduced vehicle enthusiasts to the technologies NASA and its commercial partners will use to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.

The Artemis exhibit stood alongside some of the world’s most advanced cars and boats, offering visitors an up-close look at the future of human space exploration.

Attendees explored Artemis II and Artemis III mission road maps, practiced a simulated Orion docking with Gateway in lunar orbit, and tested their skills driving a virtual lunar rover simulator.

NASA showcased lunar rover concepts, highlighting vehicles under development to help Artemis astronauts travel farther across the Moon’s surface.

All three Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) contractors, Astrolab, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost, completed their Preliminary Design Review milestones in June 2025, marking the end of Phase 1 feasibility study task orders that began in May 2024. NASA is preparing to award Phase 2 of the Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract with a demonstration mission task order that will result in the development, delivery, and demonstration of an LTV on the Moon  later this decade.

First Dual NBL Run for NASA’s Artemis III Lunar Spacesuit

NASA and Axiom Space teams held the first dual spacesuit run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory with NASA astronauts Stan Love and Loral O’Hara. Both crewmembers wore Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit, called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), while performing simulated lunar surface operations underwater to test the spacesuit’s functionality and mobility. This was the final integration test in the pool, proving both the spacesuit and facility are ready to support NASA Artemis training. To date, the Axiom team has conducted over 700 hours of manned, pressurized testing of the Artemis III lunar spacesuit. Axiom Space is scheduled to complete the critical design review in 2026.

These efforts were made possible by teams across Johnson’s Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team.

Watch how astronauts, engineers, and scientists are preparing for the next giant leap on the lunar surface.

OSIRIS-REx Team Honored for Asteroid Sample Return

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx curation team earned an Agency Group Achievement Award for their dedication to acquiring, preserving, and distributing asteroid samples from Bennu—the agency’s first asteroid sample return mission.

“The curation team ensured we were ready to receive and safeguard the samples, prepare and allocate them, and make them available to the broader scientific community,” said Jemma Davidson, Astromaterials curator and branch chief of the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office.

After years of preparation, the team overcame unforeseen technical challenges to recover and preserve more than 120 grams of asteroid material—now accessible to scientists worldwide for research into the origins of our solar system.

These achievements were made possible by Johnson teams across the ARES Division and the Exploration Architecture, Integration, and Science Directorate.

Axiom Mission 4 Marks International Firsts in Space Station Mission 

The Axiom Mission 4 crew successfully returned to Earth after an 18-day mission aboard the space station, conducting more than 60 experiments and educational outreach activities. Launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 25, the crew docked with the orbiting laboratory the following day to begin a packed schedule of science and outreach. 

The mission marked the first space station flight for India, Poland, and Hungary. Led by former NASA astronaut and Axiom Space director of human spaceflight Peggy Whitson, the crew included ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) astronaut Tibor Kapu. 

These achievements were made possible by Johnson’s dedicated teams across the International Space Station Program, Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, and Flight Operations Directorate. 

Johnson-Built Mars Hardware on Display at the Smithsonian 

A piece of NASA Johnson Space Center’s Mars legacy has landed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Nearly 10 years in the making, the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) calibration target—built by Johnson’s ARES Division with partners at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Amentum—now has a permanent place in the museum’s Futures in Space gallery.  

The palm-sized device is displayed beside an R2-D2 replica, connecting the wonder of space travel with the inspiration of seeing real flight hardware up close. 

The calibration target, still in use aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover after more than four years of operations in Jezero Crater, Mars, helps keep SHERLOC’s laser, cameras, and spectrometers precisely tuned as it searches for ancient signs of life on Mars. Mounted on the rover’s front, the target carries 10 known samples so engineers can check SHERLOC’s performance during routine operations. 

Trevor Graff, an ARES scientist who conceived the idea and led the team that designed and built SHERLOC’s calibration device, said the project highlights the unique role of geology in space exploration. “What excites me most is the practical application of geology—where science enables exploration and exploration enables science,” he said.  

SHERLOC itself sits on the rover’s seven-foot robotic arm and combines a laser, camera, and chemical analyzers to look for signs that water once altered the Martian surface, potentially revealing evidence of past microscopic life. Several calibration targets are made from spacesuit material samples, allowing Johnson scientists to study how fabrics endure the harsh Martian environment to protect future explorers. 

NASA astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates electrostatic forces using charged water droplets and a knitting needle made of Teflon. This series of overlapping frames from Feb. 19, 2025, displays the unique attraction-repulsion properties of Teflon and charged droplets, similar to how charged particles from the Sun behave when they come in contact with Earth’s magnetic field. Highly energetic particles from space that collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere create the aurora borealis.

Explore more of what Pettit has coined “science of opportunity.”

Image credit: NASA/Don Pettit

Just like your cellphone stays connected by roaming between networks, NASA’s Polylingual Experimental Terminal, or PExT, technology demonstration is proving space missions can do the same by switching seamlessly between government and commercial communications networks.

NASA missions rely on critical data to navigate, monitor spacecraft health, and transmit scientific information back to Earth, and this game-changing technology could provide multiple benefits to government and commercial missions by enabling more reliable communications with fewer data interruptions.

“This mission has reshaped what’s possible for NASA and the U.S. satellite communications industry,” said Kevin Coggins, deputy associate administrator for the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “PExT demonstrated that interoperability between government and commercial networks is possible near-Earth, and we’re not stopping there. The success of our commercial space partnerships is clear, and we’ll continue to carry that momentum forward as we expand these capabilities to the Moon and Mars.”

Wideband technology enables data exchange across a broad range of frequencies, helping bridge government and commercial networks as NASA advances commercialization of space communications. By providing interoperability between government and commercial assets, this technology unlocks new advantages not currently available to agency missions.

As commercial providers continue to advance their technology and add new capabilities to their networks, missions equipped with wideband terminals can integrate these enhancements even after launch and during active operations. The technology also supports NASA’s network integrity by allowing missions to seamlessly switch back and forth between providers if one network faces critical disruptions that would otherwise interfere with timely communications.

“Today, we take seamless cellphone roaming for granted, but in the early days of mobile phones, our devices only worked on one network,” said Greg Heckler, SCaN’s capability development lead at NASA Headquarters. “Our spaceflight missions faced similar limitations—until now. These revolutionary tests prove wideband terminals can connect spacecraft to multiple networks, a huge benefit for early adopter missions transitioning to commercial services in the 2030s.”

On July 23, the communications demo launched into low Earth orbit aboard the York Space Systems’ BARD mission. Designed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the compact wideband terminal communicates over a broad range of the Ka-band frequency, which is commonly used by NASA missions and commercial providers. After completing a series of tests that proved the BARD spacecraft and the demonstration payload were functioning as expected, testing kicked off with NASA’s TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite) fleet and commercial satellite networks operated by SES Space & Defense and Viasat.

During each demonstration, the terminal completed critical space communications and navigation operations, ranging from real-time spacecraft tracking and mission commands to high-rate data delivery. By showcasing end-to-end services between the BARD spacecraft, multiple commercial satellites, and mission control on Earth, the wideband terminal showed future NASA missions could become interoperable with government and commercial infrastructure.

Due to the flexibility of wideband technology and the innovative nature of this mission, NASA recently extended the Polylingual Experiment Terminal demonstration for an additional 12 months of testing. Extended mission operations will include new direct-to-Earth tests with the Swedish Space Corporation, scheduled to begin in early 2026.

This technology demonstration will continue testing spaceflight communications capabilities through April 2027. By 2031, NASA plans to purchase satellite relay services for science missions in low Earth orbit from one or more U.S. companies.

To learn more about this wideband technology demonstration visit:

PExT – NASA

The Polylingual Experimental Terminal technology demonstration is funded and managed by NASA’s SCaN Program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. York Space Systems provided the host spacecraft. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory developed the demonstration payload. Commercial satellite relay demonstrations were conducted in partnership with SES Space & Defense and Viasat.

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Whose Moon Mascot design will join the Artemis II astronauts on their historic voyage around the Moon in early 2026?

Between March 7 and Jun. 16, 2025, NASA worked with crowdsourcing company Freelancer to seek design ideas from global creators for a zero gravity indicator that will fly aboard the agency’s Artemis II test flight.

Zero gravity indicators are small, plush items carried aboard spacecraft to provide a visual indication of when the spacecraft and its crew reach space.

For the first eight minutes after liftoff, the crew and their indicator nearby will still be pushed into their seats by gravity, and the force of the climb into space. When the main engines of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket’s core stage cut off, gravity’s restraints are lifted, but the crew will still be strapped safely into their seats – their zero gravity indicator’s ability to float will provide proof that they’ve made it into space.

Artemis II marks the first time that the public has had a hand in creating a crew’s mascot.

The Mission

Over the course of about ten days, four astronauts will travel approximately 685,000 miles from Earth, venture around the Moon, and return home. The flight will—for the first time with astronauts—test NASA’s human deep space exploration capabilities, including the agency’s Exploration Ground Systems, SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, and Orion spacecraft. 

NASA has a long history of flying zero gravity indicators for human spaceflight missions. Many missions to the International Space Station include a plush item. A plush Snoopy rode inside Orion during NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission.

 NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen will venture around the Moon and back. The mission is the first crewed flight under NASA’s Artemis campaign and is another step toward missions on the lunar surface and helping the agency prepare for future human missions to Mars.

The Contest

The Artemis II astronauts attended SXSW 2025 on March 7, 2025, and sat on a panel to discuss their upcoming mission around the Moon and answer questions from the audience. During the panel, commander Reid Wiseman showed the audience his zero gravity indicator from his Expedition 40 mission to the International Space Station. His zero gravity indicator was a toy giraffe named Giraffiti. Wiseman’s mother gifted Giraffiti to his oldest daughter when she was born. When Wiseman embarked on his first mission to space, his kids gave him Giraffiti to take with him to space.

“This little guy spent every day with me in my crew quarters,” said Wiseman. “It was a connection back home to my kids.”

Then, Wiseman and the other crew members revealed that they were opening up the opportunities to people of all ages from all over the world to design the zero gravity indicator for the Artemis II mission around the Moon.

The Moon Mascot contest was hosted by the freelancing and crowdsourcing company Freelancer on behalf of the agency through the NASA Tournament Lab. The contest lasted about three months and received thousands of submissions from over 50 countries. Over the course of the contest, the agency hosted a Twitch stream on NASA’s Twitch channel to discuss zero gravity indicators and practice creating a design with a live artist. Adobe also released an Adobe Express template to help participants with their designs.

The Finalists

On Aug. 22, NASA and Freelancer announced the 25 finalists of the contest. These designs – ideas spanning from Moon-related twists on Earthly creatures to creative visions of exploration and discovery – were selected from more than 2,600 submissions from over 50 countries, including from K-12 students. The finalists represent 10 countries including the United States, Canada, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Peru, Singapore, and Wales.

The Winner

Once the crew has selected a final design, NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab will fabricate it for flight. The indicator will be tethered inside the Orion spacecraft before launch.

The winner of the contest and the design that will accompany the astronauts on their historic mission will be unveiled closer to launch. Launch is currently targeted for early next year, with launch opportunities as soon as February 2026.

Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Earth Planning Date: Friday, Dec. 12, 2025

The weekend drive starting from the “Nevado Sajama” drill site brought Curiosity back into the “Monte Grande” boxwork hollow. We’ve been in this hollow before for the “Valle de la Luna” drill campaign, but now that the team has seen the results from both the “Valle de la Luna” and “Nevado Sajama” drilled samples, we’ve decided that there’s more work to do here. 

Overall science goals here included analysis of the other well-exposed bedrock block in Monte Grande to improve our statistics on the composition of the bedrock in the hollows, and also high-resolution imaging and compositional analysis of portions of the walls of the hollow, other than those that had been covered during the Valle de la Luna campaign. These are part of a systematic mini-campaign to map a transect over the hollow-to-ridge structure from top to bottom at this site.

The post-drive imaging revealed a surprise — Valle de la Luna’s neighboring block was covered with polygons! As it turned out, the rover’s position during our previous visit for the Valle de la Luna drill campaign happened to have stood in the way of imaging of the polygonal features on this block so this was our first good look at them. We have seen broadly similar polygonal patterns in various strata in Gale Crater before — recently in the layered sulfate units (for instance, during Sols 4532-4533 and Sols 4370-4371) but we hadn’t seen them in the bottom of a boxwork hollow. Interestingly, this block looks more rubbly in texture than many of the previously observed polygon-covered blocks.

We’re interested in the relationship of the visibly protruding fracture-filling material here to fracture-filling materials seen in previous polygons, and also in the relationship of the polygonal surface on top to the more chaotic-appearing exposures lower on the block, and to the equivalent strata in the nearby wall of the hollow. We therefore planned a super-sized MAHLI mosaic that will support three-dimensional modeling of the upper and lower exposed surfaces of the polygon-bearing block. Several APXS and ChemCam LIBS observations targeted on the polygon centers and polygon ridges were also planned, to measure composition. Meanwhile, Mastcam has been busy planning stereo images of the nearby hollow wall in addition to the various blocks on the hollow floor.

The hollow also included freshly exposed light-toned material from where the rover had driven over and scuffed some bedrock, so another APXS measurement and a ChemCam LIBS went to the scuffed patch to measure the fresh surface.

We’ll be driving on Sol 4748. As we drive we’ll be taking a MARDI “sidewalk” observation, to image the ground beneath the rover as we approach the wall for a closer view, and hopefully some contact science in next week’s plans.