Select walls at NASA’s Johnson Space Center have been transformed into works of art. Each piece reflects creativity, collaboration, and the spirit of discovery. Painted by Texas students, the murals honor the legacy of the International Space Station and 25 years of continuous human presence in space. 

The International Space Station Program Mural Project began in 2022 as part of a broader effort to bring color and inspiration into the workplace while connecting classrooms to NASA’s mission. 

“The mural collection is a reminder that today’s dreams can be tomorrow’s realities,” said Space Operations Mission Directorate Deputy Associate Administrator Joel Montalbano. “The future of space exploration depends on the imagination of our students.” 

As NASA prepares for the next giant leap through Artemis, the art on the walls serves as a reminder that every mission begins with creativity and courage. This initiative continues to inspire the next generation to Dare | Unite | Explore. While art allows for interpretation, each mural required careful planning, communication, and problem-solving, just like the work behind human spaceflight.  

The most recent mural, “Dream Big,” was installed in the hallway leading to the International Space Station Program suite on the fifth floor of building 1. Created by Texas City High School students with the International Space Station Program Mission Integration and Operations team, the artwork shows a grayscale child pulling back a curtain to reveal rockets, astronauts, and bright planetary landscapes.  

The mural’s design draws from both classic and modern art influences. The students were inspired by Van Gogh’s impressionistic style and Banksy’s Behind the Curtain, combining movement and curiosity to reflect how imagination can open the door to exploration. 

“The National Art Honor Society was honored to take on this inspiring project,” said Texas City High School art teacher Jennifer Massie. “They chose ‘Where Creativity Meets Reality’ to show how a child’s creative mind keeps moving and evolving—and that with big dreams and hard work, kids can follow in their heroes’ footsteps.” 

What started as an idea between Gary Johnson, technical manager in the International Space Station Mission Integration and Operations Office, and Raul Tijerina, then the program’s building graphics lead, has grown into a gallery-sized initiative that bridges science and creativity. 

“We want students to have the unique opportunity to contribute to NASA’s legacy through their artwork,” Johnson said. “These murals show that every mission begins with imagination and that the next generation of explorers is already helping paint humanity’s future among the stars.”  

Two murals are now housed in the hallway of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory’s International Space Development Integration Laboratory, known as the SDIL. The first, “Dream Explore Discover,” created by Friendswood High School students, was originally displayed in building 4 south. Under the guidance of art teacher Mandy Harris, more than 30 students designed and painted the 8-by-18-foot mural, starting with sketches and brainstorming sessions that considered how art could reflect human space exploration. The students combined their ideas into a single design celebrating the beauty and excitement of discovery. 

Elements of the mural include an astronaut’s visor reflecting the Houston skyline, zinnias symbolizing life and science connecting beyond Earth, and a small floating teddy bear representing both the dreams of children who look up to the stars and the generations of explorers who carried small tokens of home into space. It serves as a reminder of the human heart behind every mission.  

The mural also features the launch of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with NASA’s Orion spacecraft riding on top, heading for the next giant leap in exploration. Beside the capsule, the Orion constellation appears in the sky, symbolizing how the stars continue to guide humanity’s journey to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.  

“The Moon Now,” created by students from La Marque High School, Blocker Middle School, and Giles Middle School, is also housed at the SDIL. The artwork depicts two astronauts on the lunar surface wearing Axiom spacesuits with mirrored visors that reflect the faces of the next generation who will carry humanity back to the Moon. Individual student artworks of the Milky Way and celestial objects were collaged into the final piece, creating a tapestry of imagination and exploration. 

The remaining murals are installed in building 4 south at Johnson. In 2023, the program expanded to include Dickinson High School, whose students created “A Starry Night,” a blend of Renaissance-style painting and modern space imagery. “Everyone wanted to be involved,” said art teacher Jennifer Sumrall. “The kids loved it and did their own research on how each of NASA’s missions impacts the world.” 

“Absolute Equality: Breaking Boundaries” by Houston artist Reginald C. Adams symbolizes unity and humanity’s shared future in space exploration. Two figures share a single helmet. Patterns inspired by circuitry surround the faces and suggest the role of technology in connecting people around the world and beyond it. 

“Collaboration” was painted by La Marque High School students with art teacher Joan Finn and artist Cheryl Evans to depict the interconnected roles of visionaries, engineers, artists, and astronauts in exploration. Built from 10 stretched canvases bolted together — a nod to the station’s assembly across more than 40 missions — the mural includes the space station patch at the bottom to represent the collaboration of the 15 countries involved.

NASA Johnson thanks Joel Montalbano, who championed student engagement that connects classrooms to mission work during his tenure as International Space Station Program manager. The center also acknowledges Gary Johnson for conceiving the mural project and guiding its partnerships, Raul Tijerina for early design leadership that set the standard, Gordon Andrews for opening doors through behind-the-scenes tours, and art educators for mentoring the students who brought each mural to life.  

The asteroid Bennu continues to provide new clues to scientists’ biggest questions about the formation of the early solar system and the origins of life. As part of the ongoing study of pristine samples delivered to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) spacecraft, three new papers published Tuesday by the journals Nature Geosciences and Nature Astronomy present remarkable discoveries: sugars essential for biology, a gum-like substance not seen before in astromaterials, and an unexpectedly high abundance of dust produced by supernova explosions.

Sugars essential to life

Scientists led by Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University in Japan found sugars essential for biology on Earth in the Bennu samples, detailing their findings in the journal Nature Geoscience. The five-carbon sugar ribose and, for the first time in an extraterrestrial sample, six-carbon glucose were found. Although these sugars are not evidence of life, their detection, along with previous detections of amino acids, nucleobases, and carboxylic acids in Bennu samples, show building blocks of biological molecules were widespread throughout the solar system.

For life on Earth, the sugars deoxyribose and ribose are key building blocks of DNA and RNA, respectively. DNA is the primary carrier of genetic information in cells. RNA performs numerous functions, and life as we know it could not exist without it. Ribose in RNA is used in the molecule’s sugar-phosphate “backbone” that connects a string of information-carrying nucleobases.

“All five nucleobases used to construct both DNA and RNA, along with phosphates, have already been found in the Bennu samples brought to Earth by OSIRIS-REx,” said Furukawa. “The new discovery of ribose means that all of the components to form the molecule RNA are present in Bennu.”

The discovery of ribose in asteroid samples is not a complete surprise. Ribose has previously been found in two meteorites recovered on Earth. What is important about the Bennu samples is that researchers did not find deoxyribose. If Bennu is any indication, this means ribose may have been more common than deoxyribose in environments of the early solar system. 

Researchers think the presence of ribose and lack of deoxyribose supports the “RNA world” hypothesis, where the first forms of life relied on RNA as the primary molecule to store information and to drive chemical reactions necessary for survival. 

“Present day life is based on a complex system organized primarily by three types of functional biopolymers: DNA, RNA, and proteins,” explains Furukawa. “However, early life may have been simpler. RNA is the leading candidate for the first functional biopolymer because it can store genetic information and catalyze many biological reactions.”

The Bennu samples also contained one of the most common forms of “food” (or energy) used by life on Earth, the sugar glucose, which is the first evidence that an important energy source for life as we know it was also present in the early solar system.

Mysterious, ancient ‘gum’

A second paper, in the journal Nature Astronomy led by Scott Sandford at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and Zack Gainsforth of the University of California, Berkeley, reveals a gum-like material in the Bennu samples never seen before in space rocks – something that could have helped set the stage on Earth for the ingredients of life to emerge. The surprising substance was likely formed in the early days of the solar system, as Bennu’s young parent asteroid warmed.

Once soft and flexible, but since hardened, this ancient “space gum” consists of polymer-like materials extremely rich in nitrogen and oxygen. Such complex molecules could have provided some of the chemical precursors that helped trigger life on Earth, and finding them in the pristine samples from Bennu is important for scientists studying how life began and whether it exists beyond our planet.

Bennu’s ancestral asteroid formed from materials in the solar nebula – the rotating cloud of gas and dust that gave rise to the solar system – and contained a variety of minerals and ices. As the asteroid began to warm, due to natural radiation, a compound called carbamate formed through a process involving ammonia and carbon dioxide. Carbamate is water soluble, but it survived long enough to polymerize, reacting with itself and other molecules to form larger and more complex chains impervious to water. This suggests that it formed before the parent body warmed enough to become a watery environment.

“With this strange substance, we’re looking at, quite possibly, one of the earliest alterations of materials that occurred in this rock,” said Sandford. “On this primitive asteroid that formed in the early days of the solar system, we’re looking at events near the beginning of the beginning.”

Using an infrared microscope, Sandford’s team selected unusual, carbon-rich grains containing abundant nitrogen and oxygen. They then began what Sandford calls “blacksmithing at the molecular level,” using the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in Berkeley, California. Applying ultra-thin layers of platinum, they reinforced a particle, welded on a tungsten needle to lift the tiny grain, and shaved the fragment down using a focused beam of charged particles.

When the particle was a thousand times thinner than a human hair, they analyzed its composition via electron microscopy at the Molecular Foundry and X-ray spectroscopy at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source. The ALS’s high spatial resolution and sensitive X-ray beams enabled unprecedented chemical analysis.

“We knew we had something remarkable the instant the images started to appear on the monitor,” said Gainsforth. “It was like nothing we had ever seen, and for months we were consumed by data and theories as we attempted to understand just what it was and how it could have come into existence.” 

The team conducted a slew of experiments to examine the material’s characteristics. As the details emerged, the evidence suggested the strange substance had been deposited in layers on grains of ice and minerals present in the asteroid.

It was also flexible – a pliable material, similar to used gum or even a soft plastic. Indeed, during their work with the samples, researchers noticed the strange material was bendy and dimpled when pressure was applied. The stuff was translucent, and exposure to radiation made it brittle, like a lawn chair left too many seasons in the sun.

“Looking at its chemical makeup, we see the same kinds of chemical groups that occur in polyurethane on Earth,” said Sandford, “making this material from Bennu something akin to a ‘space plastic.’” 

The ancient asteroid stuff isn’t simply polyurethane, though, which is an orderly polymer. This one has more “random, hodgepodge connections and a composition of elements that differs from particle to particle,” said Sandford. But the comparison underscores the surprising nature of the organic material discovered in NASA’s asteroid samples, and the research team aims to study more of it.

By pursuing clues about what went on long ago, deep inside an asteroid, scientists can better understand the young solar system – revealing the precursors to and ingredients of life it already contained, and how far those raw materials may have been scattered, thanks to asteroids much like Bennu.

Abundant supernova dust

Another paper in the journal Nature Astronomy, led by Ann Nguyen of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, analyzed presolar grains – dust from stars predating our solar system – found in two different rock types in the Bennu samples to learn more about where its parent body formed and how it was altered by geologic processes. It is believed that presolar dust was generally well-mixed as our solar system formed. The samples had six-times the amount of supernova dust than any other studied astromaterial, suggesting the asteroid’s parent body formed in a region of the protoplanetary disk enriched in the dust of dying stars.  

The study also reveals that, while Bennu’s parent asteroid experienced extensive alteration by fluids, there are still pockets of less-altered materials within the samples that offer insights into its origin.

“These fragments retain a higher abundance of organic matter and presolar silicate grains, which are known to be easily destroyed by aqueous alteration in asteroids,” said Nguyen. “Their preservation in the Bennu samples was a surprise and illustrates that some material escaped alteration in the parent body. Our study reveals the diversity of presolar materials that the parent accreted as it was forming.”

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center provided overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, Tucson, is the principal investigator. The university leads the science team and the mission’s science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provided flight operations. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace were responsible for navigating the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Curation for OSIRIS-REx takes place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. International partnerships on this mission include the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter instrument from CSA (Canadian Space Agency) and asteroid sample science collaboration with JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s) Hayabusa2 mission. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA’s New Frontiers Program, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more information on the OSIRIS-REx mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex

Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-285-5155 / 240-419-1732
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov   / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov

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On Nov. 2, 2025, NASA honored 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. What began as a fragile framework of modules has evolved into a springboard for international cooperation, advanced scientific research and technology demonstrations, the development of a low Earth orbit economy, and NASA’s next great leaps in exploration, including crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. 

The first expedition

This legacy of achievement in global human endeavors began with the first crew’s arrival to the space station on Nov. 2, 2000. Expedition 1 crew members NASA astronaut William M. Shepherd and Russian Aviation and Space Agency, now Roscosmos, cosmonauts Yuri P. Gidzenko and Sergei K. Krikalev launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan two days prior. After a successful docking, the crew transferred aboard the station and began bringing it to life. Their primary tasks during their four-month mission included installing and activating the life support and communications systems and working with three visiting space shuttle crews to continue the station’s assembly. The trio returned to Earth in March 2001 aboard space shuttle Discovery, after having turned the station over to the Expedition 2 crew. 

(Space)walking into history 

Assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station would not be possible without the skilled work of crew members performing intricate tasks, in bulky spacesuits, in the harsh environment of space. In addition to station upkeep, spacewalks provide a platform for testing and improving spacesuits and tools – critical information for future exploration of the Moon and Mars. Other spacewalks have included operations for scientific research. In Jan. 2025, for example, crew members collected samples for an investigation examining whether microorganisms have exited through station vents and can survive in space, to better inform spacecraft design that helps prevent human contamination of Mars and other destinations. 

More than 270 spacewalks dedicated to the space station have been accomplished in the last quarter century. Several made station and human spaceflight history: 

• May 1999: NASA astronaut Tamara Jernigan became the first woman to complete a spacewalk at the space station, in support of its construction. 

• September 2000: Also during space station assembly, NASA astronaut Edward T. “Ed” Lu and Roscosmos cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko conducted the first U.S.-Russian spacewalk. 

• March 10, 2001: NASA astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms set the record for longest spacewalk in U.S. history, at 8 hours and 56 minutes. 

• First spacewalks by international partners included: 

• April 2001 – Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield 

• July 2005 – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi 

• Aug. 2006 – European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter 

• Feb. 26, 2004: NASA astronaut Mike Foale and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Y. Kaleri complete the first spacewalk with no one inside the station.  

• Oct. 18, 2019: The first all-female spacewalk in history, conducted by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. 

Orbiting laboratory welcomes first commercial crew 

The International Space Station welcomed its first commercial crew members on May 31, 2020, when former NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley joined Expedition 63 Commander and NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner aboard the orbiting laboratory.  

Behnken and Hurley lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida the day before on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight – the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil since the space shuttle’s retirement in 2011.  

The duo quickly integrated with the rest of the crew and participated in a number of scientific experiments, spacewalks, and public engagement events during their 62 days aboard station. Overall, the pair spent 64 days in orbit, completed 1,024 orbits around Earth, and contributed more than 100 hours of time to supporting the orbiting laboratory’s investigations before splashing down on Aug. 2.  

Successful completion of the Demo-2 mission paved the way for regular SpaceX flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. With another certified crew transportation system in place, the International Space Station Program added research time and increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including preparations for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. 

Frank Rubio’s record-breaking year in space  

On Sept. 27, 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned to Earth after spending 371 days aboard the International Space Station—the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history. His mission surpassed the previous record of 355 days, set by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, and provided scientists with an unprecedented look at how the human body adapts to more than a year in microgravity. 

Rubio’s record-setting mission supported six human research studies, including investigations into diet, exercise, and overall physiology and psychology. He was the first astronaut to test whether limited workout equipment could still maintain health and fitness, an important consideration for future spacecraft with tighter living quarters. He also contributed biological samples, surveys, and tests for NASA’s Spaceflight Standard Measures, a study that collects health data from astronauts to better understand how the body adapts to space—knowledge that helps prepare crews for the Artemis campaign to the Moon and future trips to Mars. 

Alongside his fellow crew members, Rubio participated in dozens of investigations and technology demonstrations, from growing tomato plants with hydroponic and aeroponic techniques to materials science experiments that advance spacecraft design. 

Long-duration missions help inform future spaceflight and lay the groundwork for the next era of human exploration.  

A global foundation for growing a low Earth orbit economy 

The space station is one of the most ambitious international collaborations ever attempted. It brings together international flight crews, multiple launch vehicles, globally distributed launch and flight operations, training, engineering, and development facilities, communications networks, and the international scientific research community for the benefit of all humanity.  

An international partnership of space agencies operates the elements of the orbiting laboratory: NASA, Roscosmos, ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Each partner takes primary responsibility for managing and running the station hardware it provides, as well as on-Earth construction, launch support, mission operations, communications, and research and technology facilities that support the station. 

At least 290 individuals representing 26 countries, and the five international partners have visited the orbiting laboratory during its 25 years of continuous human presence. Some of those visitors flew to the station on private astronaut missions. These missions contribute to scientific, outreach, and commercial activities. They also help demonstrate the demand for future commercial space stations and are an important component of NASA’s strategy for enabling a robust and competitive commercial economy in low Earth orbit. 

The results of the international partnership created through the space station and its accomplishments exemplifies how countries can work together to overcome complex challenges and achieve collaborative goals. 

 

For more than 25 years, Mark Elder has helped make human spaceflight safe and possible. As the International Space Station EVA hardware manager in the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Office within the EVA and Human Surface Mobility Program, he leads the team responsible for the spacesuits, tools, and logistics that keep astronauts protected during spacewalks—and ensures NASA is ready for the next era of Artemis exploration. 

His team is programmatically responsible for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU, spacesuit. That means every bolt, bearing, and battery astronauts rely on outside the International Space Station ultimately falls under their watch. He also oversees the EVA Space Operations Contract, which provides engineering and technical support to keep spacesuit systems flight ready. 

Elder’s work directly supports every EVA, or spacewalk, conducted at the station. His team coordinates with astronauts, engineers, and the Mission Control Center in Houston to make sure the suits and tools operate reliably in the most unforgiving environment imaginable. Their work helps ensure every EVA is conducted safely and successfully. 

Elder’s passion for NASA began at an early age. 

“When I was little, my parents gave me a book called ‘The Astronauts,’” he said. “It had drawings of a reusable spacecraft—the space shuttle—and I fell in love with it. From then on, I told everyone I was going to work at NASA.” 

That dream took off at age 16, when he attended Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. “That cemented my dream of someday working at NASA, and it taught me a little bit more about the different roles within the agency,” he said. 

While attending Case Western Reserve University as a mechanical engineering student, he learned about a new NASA program that allowed college students to design and build an experiment and then come to Johnson Space Center for a week to fly with their experiment on the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker. “I jumped on the chance to be part of the team,” he said. “The experience further cemented my dream of working at NASA one day—Johnson in particular.” 

After graduation, Elder worked with Pratt & Whitney on jet engines. While the experience was invaluable, he knew his heart belonged in human spaceflight. “I learned that one of Pratt’s fellow companies under the United Technologies umbrella was Hamilton Sundstrand, which was the prime contractor for the spacesuit,” he said. “I jumped at the chance to transfer, and my career at NASA finally began.” 

Elder spent his first three years at Johnson performing tool-to-tool fit checks on spacewalking equipment, giving him hands-on experience with nearly every tool that he would eventually become responsible for as a hardware manager. 

His early years coincided with the shuttle return-to-flight era, when he worked on reinforced carbon-carbon panel repairs and thermal protection systems. Those experiences built his technical foundation and prepared him for the leadership roles to come. 

Over time, Elder took on increasingly complex assignments, eventually leading the team that developed the EVA Long Life Battery—the first human-rated lithium battery used in space. His team created a rigorous test plan to certify the battery for human spaceflight at a time when lithium batteries were under scrutiny for safety concerns. 

“Finally signing the certification paperwork was satisfying, but watching an EVA powered by the batteries provided a great sense of pride,” he said. 

This innovation set the stage for future generations of even safer, higher-capacity batteries that power today’s spacewalking operations and will eventually support lunar surface activities. 

Looking back, Elder said some of his greatest lessons came from learning how to lead with purpose. “The great thing about NASA is the highly motivated and dedicated workforce,” he said. “When I first became a team lead, I thought success meant making quick decisions and moving fast. I learned that leadership is really about listening. Strong teams are built on trust and open communication.” 

Another defining lesson, he said, has been learning to assume positive intent. “In a place like NASA, everyone is deeply passionate about what they do,” he said. “It’s easy to misinterpret a disagreement as opposition, but when you remember that everyone is working toward the same goal, the conversation changes. You focus on solving problems, not winning arguments.” 

That mindset has guided Elder through some of NASA’s most complex programs and helped him build lasting partnerships across the agency. 

Today, Elder’s work extends beyond the orbiting laboratory. As NASA prepares for Artemis missions to the Moon, his team’s experience maintaining and improving the EMU informs the design of next-generation exploration suits. 

“The foundation we’ve built on the space station is critical for the future,” he said. “Every tool we’ve refined, every system we’ve upgraded—it all feeds into how we’ll operate on the lunar surface and eventually on Mars.” 

Elder believes that the key to future success lies in perseverance. He advises the next generation to never stop dreaming. “My path wasn’t direct, and it would have been easy for me to give up,” he said. “But dreams have a way of guiding you if you don’t let go of them.” 

When he’s not supporting those missions, Elder’s creativity takes shape in his workshop. “In my spare time, I love woodworking,” he said. “Building something useful from a pile of rough-sawn boards helps calm me and gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I love being able to build furniture for my family,” he added, after recently finishing a desk for his youngest son. 

The same patience and precision he brings to woodworking defines his approach to exploration—steady progress, careful craftmanship, and attention to detail. “As NASA goes to the Moon and Mars, there will be challenges,” Elder said. “As long as we keep dreaming, we will see the next generation walking on the Moon and heading to Mars.” 

When NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidates arrived at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston this fall, they stepped into history, sharing a common mission to master the skills and teamwork that define NASA’s next era of exploration. 

Selected from a pool of more than 8,000 applicants, the new class represents a range of backgrounds — military test pilots, engineers, a physician, and a scientist — but all were inspired by moments in their lives that set them on a path to space.  

They will spend nearly two years in training before becoming eligible for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and eventually, Mars. When they graduate, they will join NASA’s active astronaut corps, advancing science aboard the International Space Station and supporting Artemis missions that will carry human exploration farther than ever before. 

During the class announcement at Johnson on Sept. 22, 2025, Center Director Vanessa Wyche celebrated the moment as a milestone for exploration. 

“Today is an exciting day for our nation and for all of humanity as we introduce NASA’s 2025 astronaut candidates — the next generation who will help us explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” Wyche said. “Each one of these candidates brings unique experiences and perspectives that reflect the diversity of America and the spirit of exploration that defines NASA.” 

Behind their new blue flight suits are years of preparation and stories as multifaceted as the missions they will one day support. 

Different Roads to the Same Horizon 

Some of the candidates built their careers in the air, where precision, communication, and teamwork were part of every mission. Former U.S. Navy pilot and test pilot Rebecca Lawler says that is exactly what drew her to NASA. 

“All of these people are coming from different disciplines and levels of expertise, and you’re all working together to get science to fly,” she said. “That’s what excites me most — bringing those experiences together as a team.” 

Imelda Muller, an anesthesiologist and former U.S. Navy undersea medical officer, said her experience supporting experimental diving teams taught her how people from different backgrounds can come together under one mission, something she sees echoed at NASA. 

Muller remembers looking up at the night sky as a kid, able to see almost every star on a clear night. Her grandfather worked on the Apollo program and used to share stories with her, and she says the mix of stargazing and imagining those missions inspired her dream of becoming an astronaut. 

Anna Menon, a biomedical engineer and former flight controller, has seen the human side of spaceflight from the ground and from space. She supported astronaut health aboard the space station from the Mission Control Center in Houston and served as a mission specialist and medical officer aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission.

A Houston native, she discovered her passion for exploration in the fourth grade during a field trip to Johnson. “That experience lit a fire in me to want to be part of the space industry,” she said. 

The Language of Human Spaceflight 

For the test pilots — including Adam Fuhrmann, Cameron Jones, Ben Bailey, and Erin Overcash — flight testing taught adaptability, composure, and the discipline to make quick decisions when it matters most. As Fuhrmann put it, it is about knowing when to lead and when to listen. 

Every astronaut candidate will spend nearly two years learning spacecraft systems, practicing spacewalks in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, flying T-38 jets, and studying geology, robotics, and survival training. 

As U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer and helicopter test pilot Ben Bailey said, it is not one skill that matters most — it is the combination. 

“Each one is exciting on its own — flying, language training, spacewalks — but getting to do them all together, as a crew, that’s the best part,” Bailey said. 

During the event, current astronauts welcomed the new class and shared advice drawn from their own journeys in human spaceflight. “Thankfully, you will have some of the most talented, passionate instructors and an incredibly dedicated team here at NASA,” said NASA astronaut Chris Williams. “Some of the most special moments will come as you find how much you get to learn from each other.” 

From the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman encouraged the candidates to “learn everything you can, get to know each other, and enjoy the ride.” 

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim followed with a reminder every explorer carries forward: “The people sitting beside you now will become lifelong friends.” 

Explorers of the Golden Age 

From geologist Lauren Edgar, who worked on the Curiosity Mars Rover and the Artemis III science team, to engineers like Yuri Kubo, who completed seven NASA internships, and Katherine Spies, who designed and tested flight systems that make exploration possible, each brings a layer of expertise to the agency’s future on the Moon and beyond. 

A New Era Begins 

At the announcement ceremony, NASA Flight Operations Director Norm Knight said, “Every lesson learned aboard station has paved the way for where we’re headed next – to the Moon, this time to stay, and on to Mars. We have a group of individuals who are not only exceptional, but who will be inspirational for the United States of America and for our planet.”  

Together, the astronaut candidates reflect the spirit of Artemis — curiosity, courage, and continuous learning as humanity prepares for its next giant leap. 

To see Earth from space is to be forever changed by the view. Since Alan Shepard became the first American to lay eyes on our home planet from above, countless NASA astronauts have described feeling awed by the astonishing sight and a profound shift in perspective that followed.

This unique experience is known as the overview effect – a term coined in 1987 by space philosopher and author Frank White in a book of the same name. The phenomenon creates powerful changes in the way astronauts think about Earth and life and can be particularly strong for those who lived and worked aboard the International Space Station during its 25 years of continuous human presence. The orbiting laboratory’s cupola module, equipped with seven windows looking down on Earth, provides the perfect place for observation and reflection.

As Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch explained:

“The overview effect is when you’re looking through the cupola and you see the Earth as it exists with the whole universe in the background. You see the thin blue line of the atmosphere, and then when you’re on the dark side of the Earth, you actually see this very thin green line that shows you where the atmosphere is. What you realize is every single person that you know is sustained and inside of that green line and everything else outside of it is completely inhospitable. You don’t see borders, you don’t see religious lines, you don’t see political boundaries. All you see is Earth and you see that we are way more alike than we are different.”

Koch’s Artemis II crewmate, NASA astronaut Victor Glover, said the overview effect’s potency is closely tied to the “sea level effect” – humanity’s shared experience on Earth. “You come back to sea level, and then you have a choice,” he explained. “Are you going to try to live your life a little differently? Are you going to really choose to be a member of this community of Earth?”

Many astronauts emphasize the importance of unity after experiencing the overview effect. “You see that it’s a single planet with a shared atmosphere. It’s our shared place in this universe,” said former NASA astronaut Bob Behnken. “I think that perspective, as we go through things like the pandemic or we see the challenges across our nation or across the world, we recognize that we all face them together.”

Seeing the Earth from space can also change their concept of home. Former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott recalls wanting to see her home state of Florida during her first mission to the International Space Station. “Finally, we were flying over Florida. I wanted to go to the window and see it, and then realized somewhere down the line that I wasn’t looking at Florida that same way anymore,” she said. “I still wanted to see Florida, but Florida had just become this special part of home, which is Earth. We’re all earthlings.”

For some astronauts, their perspective shift inspired them to make changes on the ground. “I think if you’re not a conservationist before you go to space, you’re at least partly a conservationist when you come back. Because when you see how thin that atmosphere is, that protective layer that we have here, you think, wow, we really have to take care of this because it does look so fragile from space,” said retired NASA astronaut Mike Foreman.

Others hope to share the overview effect with more people. “That perspective helps you grow. It has really inspired me to try to get more people this experience and to get a permanent foothold in the stars for our species,” said former NASA astronaut Jack Fischer. “I want to do everything I possibly can to help the human species, humanity as a whole, go further and grow and evolve like I know they’re capable of.”

Future crews to the orbiting laboratory can look forward to a similar experience. “In that instant, when you’re overwhelmed with that vista, when your eyes see nothing but the beauty of the Earth – every single crew member that I brought in [the cupola] for that exposure, cried,” said retired NASA astronaut T.J. Creamer. “It is heart stopping. It is soul pounding. It is breathtaking.”

For more astronaut perspectives from the International Space Station, watch “Down to Earth” on NASA+.

NASA named astronaut Scott Tingle as chief of the Astronaut Office at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, effective Nov. 10. A decorated spaceflight veteran and former captain in the United States Navy, Tingle has logged more than 4,500 flight hours in 51 different aircraft and served as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station.

As chief astronaut, Tingle is responsible for managing astronaut resources and operations. He also will help develop astronaut flight crew operations and make crew assignments for future human spaceflight missions, including Artemis missions to the Moon.

“Our Johnson Space Center team extends heartfelt congratulations to Scott on his appointment as chief of the Astronaut Office. We wish him every success as he steps into this dynamic and inspiring leadership position,” said Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche. “I also offer my deepest gratitude to Joe Acaba for his devoted leadership of the Astronaut Office. He accomplished the remarkable work of readying our astronaut corps for bold missions to and from the International Space Station and channeling their expertise to shape and evaluate the technologies, software, and procedures that will make future spaceflight safer and more achievable for our nation’s explorers.”

A native of Randolph, Massachusetts, Tingle was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Tingle most recently served as a flight engineer aboard the space station, spending more than six months in orbit during Expedition 54/55. He was the flight engineer and United States Operational Segment lead for the mission, which launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on Dec. 17, 2017, and concluded with landing on June 3, 2018. Since returning to Earth, he has supported the Astronaut Office in various roles, including mission support, technical leadership, and crew readiness activities.

Before coming to NASA, Tingle worked for The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California, where he served as a technical staff member supporting the company’s propulsion department. He was commissioned as a naval officer in 1991 and went on to complete a distinguished career, earning the rank of captain before retiring. Follow Tingle on X.

Tingle succeeds NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, who had served as chief of the Astronaut Office since February 2023. Acaba has transitioned to the center director’s staff, where he provides technical advice on mission planning and strategy at NASA Johnson. In this new role, he leads the center’s alignment with NASA’s strategic plan and human spaceflight priorities, supports the agency’s STEM workforce goals, and advances collaboration with commercial space, academia, and other government partners as NASA continues its exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station

-end-

Shaneequa Vereen

Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111

shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov

In 2025, NASA and its international partners celebrate 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Since November 2, 2000, more than 290 people from 26 countries have lived and worked aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting thousands of experiments that have advanced science and technology on Earth and paved the way for Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars. 

Beyond its role as a science platform, the station has been a bridge—connecting cultures, sparking creativity, and inspiring generations. The memories of Johnson Space Center employees reflect how the orbiting laboratory is not only an engineering marvel but also a deeply human endeavor.  

Christopher Brown – Advancing Life Support Systems for Future Exploration 

As a space station Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) integrator, Christopher Brown’s role has been ensuring astronauts have clean air and water. ECLSS removes carbon dioxide from the air, supplies oxygen for breathing, and recycles wastewater—turning yesterday’s coffee into tomorrow’s coffee. Today, these systems can recover nearly 98% of the water brought to the station.  

His proudest memory was commissioning regenerative life support systems and raising a symbolic toast with the crew while on console in mission control. He also helped activate the Water Storage System, saving crew time and improving operations on station. For Brown, these milestones were vital steps toward future long-duration missions beyond Earth. 

Stephanie Sipila – The Heart of Microgravity Research  

Stephanie Sipila, now integration manager for NASA’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, began her career as a mechanical and robotic systems instructor for the orbital outpost. Her favorite experiment, Engineered Heart Tissues, studies microgravity’s effect on the human heart to help develop new treatments for cardiovascular disease. She recalls NASA astronaut Sunita Williams running the Boston Marathon on a treadmill aboard station, becoming the first person to complete the race in space and showing how astronauts stay connected to Earth while living on orbit.  

Sipila also highlights the Spacesuit Art Project, an initiative that turned artwork from children with cancer into spacesuits flown to and worn aboard the orbital outpost during live downlinks, connecting science, art, and hope — and raising awareness of cancer research conducted aboard the orbital outpost.  

Liz Warren – Where Exploration Meets Humanity 

Space station Associate Chief Scientist Liz Warren has seen firsthand how the Spacesuit Art Project uplifted children on Earth. During Expedition 52, she watched astronaut Jack Fischer wear a suit covered in artwork created by young cancer patients, including his own daughter, a survivor. “It was incredibly touching to note the power of art and inspiration. Human spaceflight requires fortitude, resilience, and teamwork—so does fighting childhood cancer,” Warren said. 

Her memories also extend to her time as an operations lead for NASA’s Human Research Program, which uses research to develop methods to protect the health and performance of astronauts in space to prepare for long-duration missions. While out for a weekend run, Warren received a call from the Payload Operations and Integration Center in Huntsville, Alabama. An astronaut on station, following a prescribed diet for a research study, wanted to swap out a food item. Warren coordinated with her support team and relayed the decision back to orbit—all while continuing her run. The moment, she recalls, underscored the constant, real-time connection between astronauts in space and teams on the ground. 

Adam Baker – Checkmate: Space Debris Cleanup 

As an aerospace engineer, Adam Baker helped track experiments and spacecraft operations from mission control. Baker remembers when mission control played a live chess match with astronaut Greg Chamitoff during Expedition 17, a moment that showed the unique ways the station connects crews in orbit with people on Earth. His favorite technical project, though, was the RemoveDebris small satellite, deployed from the station in 2018 to test technologies for cleaning up space junk. “Knowing these experiments could one day help keep the orbital environment safe made it even more meaningful,” he said.   

Michael McFarlane – Training for Success 

As chief of the Simulation and Graphics Branch, Michael McFarlane prepared astronauts for space station assembly missions using high-fidelity simulators. “My greatest memory is seeing the station grow as we successfully executed assembly missions that looked very much like what we analyzed and trained for in our ground-based simulations,” he said. 

A Legacy of Ingenuity and Community 

In the Mission Evaluation Room, engineers not only troubleshoot in real time but also celebrate milestones with traditions like “MERloween,” where controllers dress in space-themed costumes to honor the year’s lessons learned. 

For social media consultant Mark Garcia, sharing the station story with the public has been the highlight of his career. His favorite moment was watching NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 splash down in 2025, greeted by dolphins in the Gulf of America. “I love writing about the science aboard the station that benefits people on Earth,” he said. 

For 25 years, the International Space Station has shown what humanity can accomplish together. The lessons learned aboard will guide Artemis missions to the Moon and future journeys to Mars—ensuring the next 25 years are built on innovation, resilience, and the human spirit. 

Alyssa Yockey supports the International Space Station from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston as a flight lead at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory is one of the world’s largest indoor pools where astronauts and support teams conduct trainings and other large-scale operations, both in the water and on the pool deck. 

In this role, Yockey guides teams through integration efforts, including test readiness reviews to ensure all requirements are met, and helps prepare for suited or other testing events. She ensures smooth planning and execution of each mission-focused activity. Yockey also serves as a safety diver during astronaut suited testing events, giving her a unique perspective on both the planning and execution of Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory operations. 

Read on to learn about Yockey’s career with NASA and more! 

Where are you from? 

Friendswood, Texas. 

How long have you been working for NASA? 

Eleven and a half years. 

What was your path to NASA? 

My path to NASA has been a unique blend of science and hands-on experience. I grew up in Friendswood, Texas, surrounded by the influence of NASA and the space community. While many around me were drawn to engineering, I knew early on that wasn’t the path I wanted to take. Instead, I followed my curiosity for the natural world and earned a master’s degree in marine biology, which gave me a strong foundation in research, problem-solving, and working in challenging environments. From there, I pursued opportunities that built on those skills, including completing offshore water survival training at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory for the job I held at the time. This role also allowed me to learn more about the wide range of opportunities at the facility. In addition, I became a certified scuba diver during college, which strengthened my capability and confidence in underwater and extreme environments. Together, these experiences combined my academic background with practical training, and ultimately guided me toward my role at NASA. 

How would you describe your job to family or friends that may not be familiar with NASA? 

When I explain my job to family and friends, I usually say I help make sure “astronaut pool days” go smoothly. I work with different teams to get their projects ready for NASA’s giant pool – the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory – where astronauts practice for spacewalks both on the International Space Station and on the lunar surface. That means taking care of the paperwork, preparing checklists for mock-up setup, and ensuring everything’s ready before anyone puts on a suit and hops in the water. When I am not doing that, I sometimes have the opportunity to jump in myself as a safety diver, which essentially makes me an underwater lifeguard for the astronauts. 

What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA? 

Stay curious, be resilient, and never stop learning. Seek internships, research opportunities, and mentorships, as they can open doors and give you hands-on experience. Most importantly, remember that there is no single path into this industry. Whether you come from engineering, science, business, policy, or even the arts, your unique perspective can contribute to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space exploration. 

Is there a space figure you’ve looked up to or someone that inspires you?  

For me, it hasn’t been about looking up to one individual but rather being inspired by the collective effort it takes to make space exploration possible. What inspires me most is seeing how different disciplines and perspectives unite toward a single goal, often under intense pressure. That kind of teamwork and dedication motivates me to give my best and reminds me that every role, no matter how big or small, contributes to the larger success of the space program. 

What is your favorite NASA memory or the most meaningful project you’ve worked on during your time with NASA? 

My favorite NASA memory is getting to witness, over multiple years, the collaboration of various NASA groups in developing the choreography for the four Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) spacewalks. It was incredible to be part of that process from the very beginning. I was lucky enough to see the very first development run at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, and then later watch as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA astronaut Drew Morgan performed those same spacewalks on orbit. Being able to see all that preparation, teamwork, and problem-solving come full circle was both rewarding and unforgettable. 

What do you love sharing about station? 

I love sharing how the space station connects directly back to life on Earth. People often think of it only as a place for astronauts to live and work in space, but it’s really a one-of-a-kind laboratory that helps us solve problems here at home. From medical research that leads to new treatments, to technology that improves clean water and sustainability, to international cooperation that shows what we can achieve when we work together—the station is a powerful reminder that exploration drives innovation and benefits everyone on Earth. 

November 2, 2025, marks 25 years of continuous human presence. What does this milestone mean to you? 

This milestone is inspiring – it represents the innovation, persistence, and teamwork required to make the extraordinary seem routine. Personally, it reminds me why exploration matters: it connects us across nations, pushes the limits of what’s possible, and builds the foundation for the next steps in our journey beyond Earth. 

If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be? 

I would choose Karen Nyberg. Not only did she contribute significantly as a NASA astronaut and engineer, but she also brought a very human and creative element to her time in space. I admire how she combined her professional expertise with her passion for sewing and quilting, even creating a quilt block while aboard the space station. As someone who enjoys quilting myself, I think it would be fascinating to hear about how she balanced technical work with creative expression in such a unique environment. I imagine our conversation would cover both science and stitching, which is the perfect blend of my own interests. 

Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you? 

One of my favorite space-related memories is getting to meet and chat with former NASA flight director Gene Kranz during a book signing. It was fun to hear stories firsthand from someone who played such a pivotal role in NASA’s history, and to gain insight into the dedication, teamwork, and problem-solving that make spaceflight possible. Meeting him brought history to life and reinforced why I’m grateful to be part of this field. 

What are some of the key projects you have worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite? 

During my time at NASA, I first served as a dive operations training officer, where I was responsible for training and supporting divers in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. From there, I took on the role of flight lead, supporting a range of projects including Axiom Space’s integration into the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, working with the Micro-G Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-G NExT) student experiment design teams, and participating in various lunar operations testing events. Each of these projects has been rewarding in different ways, whether through helping commercial partners prepare for their missions, mentoring and guiding students as they see their concepts come to life, or contributing to the future of lunar exploration. I especially enjoy the challenges each project brings, as they push me to adapt, collaborate across disciplines, and continuously grow in my role. 

What are your hobbies/things you enjoy doing outside of work? 

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my husband and our pups, traveling and camping in different state and national parks. Hiking is one of our favorite ways to explore new places and take in the scenery together. At home, I like to unwind with a good book or by sewing and quilting. Quilting has become a truly rewarding creative outlet for me — I love selecting fabrics, experimenting with patterns, and watching a design come to life piece by piece. Each quilt has its own story, whether it’s made for a friend, a family member, or simply for the joy of creating something new. 

Day launch or night launch? 

Night launch! 

Favorite space movie? 

Hidden Figures. 

NASA Worm or Meatball logo? 

Worm! 

NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. After 25 years of continuous human presence, the space station remains a training and proving ground for the future of commercial space stations, deep space missions, enabling NASA’s Artemis campaign, lunar exploration, and future Mars missions. 

Every day, we are conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore farther into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It is a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.  

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.  

Follow updates on social media at @Space_Station on X, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  

Brian Alpert’s path was always destined for the aerospace industry, but his journey turned toward NASA’s Johnson Space Center during his sophomore year in college. That was when Tricia Mack, who works in NASA’s Transportation Integration Office within the International Space Station Program, spoke to his aerospace seminar about planning spacewalks, training crews, and supporting operations from the Mission Control Center in Houston.

Alpert was inspired to join the agency and later earned a spot as an engineering co-op student at Johnson. “My first stop after new employee orientation was Tricia’s office,” he said.

Eighteen years later, Alpert is the cross-program integration deputy for NASA’s human landing system (HLS) – the mode of transportation that will take astronauts to the lunar surface as part of the Artemis campaign. In his role, Alpert is responsible for coordinating with other Artemis programs, like the Orion Program, on issue resolution, joint agreements, data exchanges, hardware integration, and reviews. He also co-leads the Exploration Atmospheres Issue Resolution Team, assessing risks to and impacts on space vehicle atmosphere, spacesuit pressure, and operational timelines for Artemis missions.

Alpert has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in several proposal reviews for Artemis program contracts as well. “NASA’s model of embracing public-private partnerships to achieve its strategic goals and objectives is exciting and will continue to expand opportunities in space,” he said.

He applies lessons learned and skills gained from his previous roles as a spacewalk crew instructor, flight controller, and systems engineer to his current work on HLS. “I hope to pass on to the next generation that skills and lessons you learn as a student or a young employee can and will help you in your future work,” he said.

Alpert’s prior NASA roles involved memorable experiences like working to address spacesuit and vehicle failures that occurred during a spacewalk on International Space Station Expedition 32. He was serving as the lead spacewalk systems flight controller in the Mission Control Center at the time and played a key role in getting NASA astronaut Suni Williams and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide safely back aboard the space station. Since Williams and Hoshide did not complete the spacewalk’s primary objective – replacing a Main Bus Switching Unit – a backup spacewalk was scheduled several days later. Alpert was on console for that spacewalk, too.

“One important lesson that I have learned through my career to date is how exceptionally talented, passionate, and hard-working everyone is here at NASA,” he said. “Whenever work gets stressful or problems get hard, there are teams of people that have your back, are willing to problem-solve with you, and can bring another perspective to finding a solution that you may not have considered.” He added that his colleagues are the best part of his job. “As much as I love what we do at NASA, what really gets me excited to come to work is all the outstanding people I get to work with every day.”

Learning how to navigate change has been an important lesson for Alpert, as well. “NASA has been through a lot of change since I became a full-time employee in 2009,” he said. “Making sure that I have clear goals for myself, my work, and my team helps us all stay focused on the mission and the work at hand and helps us prioritize projects and tasks as questions or challenges inevitably arise.”

One challenge Alpert especially enjoys? Johnson’s annual Chili Cookoff. He has participated in many cookoffs as part of the Cosmic Chili team, noting that he often dons a Wolverine costume as part of the festive fun. He also welcomes a space trivia challenge – and a chance to add to his collection of trivia trophies.

NASA announced its newest class of astronaut candidates on Sept. 22, 2025, at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. After the welcome ceremony, the 10 highly qualified individuals rolled up their sleeves and prepared for the next step in their journey to the stars: nearly two years of training to become flight-eligible for missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and ultimately, Mars.

The training astronaut candidates complete is comprehensive and rigorous. They learn about NASA’s history and vision, and how astronauts advance the agency’s mission. They take classes on space health – gaining an understanding of radiation exposure, microgravity’s effects on the human body, space food and nutrition, and how to use the exercise equipment aboard the International Space Station. They also study first aid and practice providing medical care for crewmates. Each candidate will receive flight training, learning to pilot or improving their current piloting skills through the T-38 supersonic jet and other aviation platforms.

With NASA’s plans for the future of exploration, this class of astronauts may have opportunities to fly to low Earth orbit, or even beyond. Some may contribute to research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station – which is about to celebrate 25 years of continuous human presence in space. Others may venture to the Moon to prepare for future Mars missions.   

To be ready for any destination, this class will complete both space station training and advanced preparation for deep space. These exercises allow astronaut candidates to work through problems and build relationships with their classmates while preparing them for space flights.

“Training was such an intense period that we got to know each other really well,” said NASA astronaut Anil Menon, who joined the agency as part of the 2021 class – astronaut group 23. “Now when we come together, there are these moments – like we might be handing off a capcom shift, or we might be flying a jet together – and in those moments, I feel like I know them so well that we know how to navigate all sorts of challenges together and just be our best selves as a team.”

Astronaut candidate training also teaches foundational skills that can be applied to any destination in space. The group will complete several dives in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, simulating spacewalks in different environments and learning how to do maintenance tasks in microgravity with a full-scale underwater mockup of the International Space Station as their worksite. They will also train inside other mockups of space vehicles, learning emergency procedures, maintenance, and repair of spacecraft, along with how to contribute to future developmental programs.

Robotics training will prepare them to use the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm. They will trek through the wilderness as part of their land and water survival training, and they will study geology in the classroom and in the field. The group will practice tasks in a variety of simulations, leveraging Johnson’s world-class facilities, virtual reality, and immersive technologies. Additionally, the class will work shifts in the Mission Control Center in Houston to experience a day in the life of the people who keep watch over the astronauts and vehicles.

Astronaut candidates who successfully complete the training program celebrate their achievement in a graduation ceremony, after which they are officially flight-eligible members of NASA’s astronaut corps. They will also receive office and ground support roles at Johnson while they await future flight assignments.

“I’ve been exposed to a lot of different parts of what we do at Johnson Space Center, working both with the current increment of supporting operations aboard the International Space Station, as well as supporting some development of the Orion spacecraft and Artemis II preparations,” said NASA astronaut Chris Birch, another member of astronaut group 23.

Many members of NASA’s active astronaut corps emphasize that the learning does not stop when astronaut candidate training ends. “You have the foundational training and you continue to build off of that,” said Deniz Burnham, adding that the hardest days can be the most educational. “You get to learn, you get to improve, and then you’re still getting the opportunity. It’s such a positively unique experience and environment, and you can’t help but be grateful.”

As NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, class mentor, told the group, “You’ll become part of a legacy of those who trained before you, continuing the adventure they started, and looking ahead to future human exploration.”

NASA will host a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 1, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to highlight the upcoming mission of astronaut Chris Williams to the International Space Station.

The news conference will stream live on NASA’s website and YouTube channel. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, targeted to launch Nov. 27 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, will carry Williams on his first flight, as well as Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev of Roscosmos, to the space station for an eight-month mission as part of Expeditions 73/74.

Media interested in participating must contact the newsroom at NASA Johnson no later than 5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29, at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. Media interested in participating by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom by 10 a.m. the day of the event.

Selected as a candidate in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.

Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed medical physics residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut candidate.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation enabling research not possible on Earth. For nearly 25 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, where astronauts have learned to live and work in space for extended periods of time. The space station is a springboard for developing a low Earth economy and NASA’s next great leaps in human exploration at the Moon under the Artemis campaign and Mars.

Learn more about the International Space Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/international-space-station

-end-

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

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

Read this press release in English here.

Diez nuevos candidatos a astronauta de la NASA fueron presentados el lunes tras un competitivo proceso de selección en el que participaron más de 8.000 aspirantes de todo Estados Unidos. Ahora, la nueva clase completará casi dos años de formación antes de poder optar a asignaciones de vuelo en apoyo de futuras misiones científicas y de exploración a la órbita terrestre baja, la Luna y Marte.

El administrador interino de la NASA, Sean Duffy, dio la bienvenida a la promoción de candidatos a astronautas estadounidenses de 2025 durante una ceremonia celebrada en el Centro Espacial Johnson de la agencia en Houston.

“¡Es un honor para mí dar la bienvenida a nuestra agencia a la próxima generación de exploradores estadounidenses! Más de 8.000 candidatos se presentaron a esta convocatoria: científicos, pilotos, ingenieros y soñadores, de todos los rincones del país. Los diez hombres y mujeres que hoy se sientan aquí personifican la realidad de que, en Estados Unidos, independientemente de dónde se empiece, no hay límites para lo que un soñador decidido puede lograr, ni siquiera ir al espacio”, afirmó Duffy. “Juntos, daremos paso a la Edad de Oro de la exploración”.

La 24.ª promoción de astronautas de la agencia se presentó al servicio en el centro Johnson a mediados de septiembre y comenzó inmediatamente su entrenamiento. Su plan de estudios incluye instrucción y adquisición de destrezas para operaciones complejas a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional, en misiones Artemis a la Luna y más allá. En concreto, la capacitación incluye robótica, supervivencia en tierra y agua, geología, idiomas extranjeros, medicina y fisiología espaciales, entre otras materias, además de simulacros de caminatas espaciales y vuelos en aviones de alto rendimiento.

Tras su graduación, la promoción de 2025 se incorporará al cuerpo de astronautas activos de la agencia. Los astronautas en activo llevan a cabo investigaciones científicas a bordo de la estación espacial, a la vez que se preparan para la transición a estaciones espaciales comerciales y los próximos grandes avances en la exploración humana de la Luna y Marte. La experiencia operativa, los conocimientos científicos y la formación y experiencia técnica de los candidatos son esenciales para avanzar en los objetivos de exploración del espacio profundo de la NASA y mantener una presencia humana a largo plazo más allá de la órbita terrestre baja.

Los candidatos a astronauta de 2025 son:

Ben Bailey, de 38 años de edad, suboficial mayor de 3.ª clase del Ejército de los Estados Unidos, nació y se crio en Charlottesville, Virginia. Es licenciado en Ingeniería Mecánica de la Universidad de Virginia y está completando una maestría en Ingeniería de Sistemas en la Escuela Naval de Postgrado en Monterrey, California. Bailey es graduado de la Escuela de Pilotos de Prueba de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, y tiene más de 2.000 horas de vuelo en más de 30 aeronaves diferentes, tanto de ala fija como rotatoria. En el momento de su selección, Bailey era responsable de las pruebas de desarrollo de tecnologías emergentes a bordo de aeronaves de ala rotatoria del Ejército, especializándose en el UH-60 Black Hawk y el CH-47F Chinook.

Lauren Edgar, de 40 años de edad, considera a Sammamish, Washington, su ciudad natal. Obtuvo una licenciatura en Ciencias de la Tierra en Dartmouth College, y una maestría y un doctorado en Geología en el Instituto Tecnológico de California. Edgar se ha desempeñado como investigadora principal adjunta del equipo de geología de Artemis III. En este cargo, ayudó a definir los objetivos científicos lunares, las actividades de geología que llevarán a cabo los astronautas de la NASA y las operaciones científicas para el regreso de la NASA a la Luna. También dedicó más de 17 años a apoyar a los rovers de exploración de Marte. Era científica participante en el Laboratorio de Ciencias de Marte en el momento de su selección.

Adam Fuhrman, de 35 años de edad, mayor de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos, es originario de Leesburg, Virginia, y ha acumulado más de 2.100 horas de vuelo en 27 aeronaves diferentes, incluyendo el F-16 y el F-35. Es licenciado en Ingeniería Aeroespacial por el Instituto de Tecnología de Massachusetts y tiene una maestría en Ingeniería de Pruebas de Vuelo y otra en Ingeniería de Sistemas de la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos y la Universidad de Purdue, respectivamente. Ha participado en las operaciones Centinela de la libertad y Apoyo decidido, con 400 horas de combate a sus espaldas. En el momento de su selección, Fuhrmann ocupaba el cargo de director de operaciones de una unidad de pruebas de vuelo de la Fuerza Aérea.

Cameron Jones, de 35 años de edad, mayor de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos, es oriundo de Savanna, Illinois. Tienes una licenciatura y una maestría en Ingeniería Aeroespacial de la Universidad de Illinois en Urbana-Champaign. También es graduado de la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos en la Base Aérea Edwards, en California, y en la Escuela de Armas de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos en la Base Aérea Nellis, en Nevada. Es un piloto de pruebas con amplia experiencia, con más de 1.600 horas de vuelo en más de 30 aeronaves diferentes, incluyendo 150 horas de combate. En el momento de su selección, Jones era miembro académico de la Fuerza Aérea en la Agencia de Proyectos de Investigación Avanzada de Defensa.

Yuri Kubo, de 40 años de edad, es oriundo de Columbus, Indiana. Obtuvo una licenciatura en Ingeniería Eléctrica y una maestría en Ingeniería Eléctrica e Informática de la Universidad de Purdue. Trabajó durante 12 años en diferentes equipos de SpaceX, incluyendo como director de lanzamiento de los cohetes Falcon 9, director de aviónica para el programa Starshield y director del Segmento Terrestre. Al principio de su carrera, Kubo fue estudiante en el Programa de Educación Cooperativa del centro Johnson, donde completó varias rotaciones en apoyo a la nave espacial Orion, la Estación Espacial Internacional y el programa del transbordador espacial. En el momento de su selección, Kubo era vicepresidente sénior de Electric Hydrogen.

Rebecca Lawler, de 38 años de edad, es originaria de Little Elm, Texas, y excapitana de corbeta de la Marina de los Estados Unidos. Es expiloto de aviones P-3 de la Marina y expiloto de pruebas experimentales con más de 2.800 horas de vuelo en más de 45 aeronaves. Lawler es licenciada en Ingeniería Mecánica de la Academia Naval de los Estados Unidos y tiene maestrías de la Universidad Johns Hopkins y la Escuela Nacional de Pilotos de Pruebas. También es graduada de la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas de la Marina de los Estados Unidos. Lawler voló anteriormente como cazadora de huracanes para la Administración Nacional Oceánica y Atmosférica y pilotó vuelos de la Operación IceBridge de la NASA. En el momento de su selección era piloto de pruebas de United Airlines.

Anna Menon, de 39 años de edad, es originaria de Houston y obtuvo su licenciatura en la Universidad Cristiana de Texas con una doble especialización en Matemáticas y Español. También tiene un máster en Ingeniería Biomédica de la Universidad de Duke. Menon trabajó anteriormente en el Centro de Control de Misión del centro Johnson de la NASA, prestando apoyo al hardware y software médico a bordo de la Estación Espacial Internacional. En 2024, Menon voló al espacio como especialista de misión y oficial médico a bordo de la misión Polaris Dawn de SpaceX. En esta misión, se estableció un nuevo récord de altitud para una mujer, se realizó la primera caminata espacial comercial y se completaron aproximadamente 40 experimentos de investigación. En el momento de su selección, Menon era ingeniera sénior en SpaceX.

Imelda Muller, de 34 años de edad, considera a Copake Falls, Nueva York, su ciudad natal. Fue teniente de la Marina de los Estados Unidos y prestó servicio como oficial médico de buceo tras formarse en el Instituto Médico para Buceo de la Escuela Naval. Muller obtuvo una licenciatura en neurociencia conductual de la Northeastern University y una licenciatura en medicina de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Vermont. Su experiencia incluye la prestación de apoyo médico durante el entrenamiento operativo en buceo de la Marina en el Laboratorio de Flotabilidad Neutral de la NASA. En el momento de su selección, Muller estaba completando su residencia en anestesia en la Escuela de Medicina Johns Hopkins en Baltimore.

Erin Overcash, de 34 años de edad, capitana de corbeta de la Marina de Estados Unidos, es originaria de Goshen, Kentucky. Es licenciada en Ingeniería Aeroespacial y tiene una maestría en Bioastronáutica de la Universidad de Colorado, Boulder. Graduada por la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, Overcash es una experimentada piloto de aeronaves F/A-18E y F/A-18F Super Hornet con participación en múltiples despliegues militares. Ha acumulado más de 1.300 horas de vuelo en 20 aeronaves, incluyendo 249 aterrizajes de apontaje en portaaviones. Overcash formó parte del Programa de Atletas de Clase Mundial de la Marina y se entrenó a tiempo completo en el Centro de Entrenamiento Olímpico con el Equipo Nacional Femenino de Rugby de Estados Unidos. En el momento de su selección, se estaba entrenando para una rotación como jefa de departamento de escuadrón.

Katherine Spies, de 43 años de edad, es originaria de San Diego y tiene una licenciatura en Ingeniería Química de la Universidad del Sur de California y una maestría en Ingeniería de Diseño de la Universidad de Harvard. Es expiloto de helicópteros de ataque AH-1 del Cuerpo de Marines y expiloto de pruebas experimentales, con más de 2.000 horas de vuelo en más de 30 aeronaves diferentes. Graduada de la Escuela de Pilotos de Pruebas de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, ocupó el cargo de oficial de proyectos para aviones UH-1Y/AH-1Z y coordinadora de la plataforma AH-1W durante su servicio activo. En el momento de su selección, Spies era directora de ingeniería de pruebas de vuelo en Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

Con la incorporación de estos diez candidatos, la NASA ha seleccionado a un total de 370 candidatos a astronauta desde que eligió al grupo original, conocido como “Mercury Seven”, en 1959.

“Hoy en día, nuestra misión nos impulsa aún más mientras nos preparamos para nuestro próximo gran avance con la nueva clase de candidatos a astronauta de la NASA”, afirmó Vanessa Wyche, directora del centro Johnson de la NASA. “Esta promoción, que representa a los mejores y más brillantes de Estados Unidos, marcará el comienzo de la edad de oro de la innovación y la exploración conforme avanzamos hacia la Luna y Marte”.

Se ofrecerán entrevistas con los candidatos a astronauta de forma virtual y en persona el martes 7 de octubre. Los representantes de medios de comunicación interesados en esta oportunidad limitada deben ponerse en contacto con la sala de prensa del centro Johnson llamando al teléfono +1 281-483-5111 o por correo electrónico en jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. La política de acreditación de medios de la NASA está disponible en línea.

Para obtener más información (en inglés) y fotos de los nuevos aspirantes a astronautas, consulte el sitio web:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts

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Bethany Stevens / Jimi Russell / María José Viñas
Sede central, Washington
202-358-1100
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov / maria-jose.vinasgarcia@nasa.gov

Chelsey Ballarte
Centro Espacial Johnson, Houston
281-483-5111
chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov

Lee este comunicado de prensa en español aquí.

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

Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy welcomed the all-American 2025 astronaut candidate class during a ceremony at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“I’m honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency! More than 8,000 people applied – scientists, pilots, engineers, dreamers from every corner of this nation. The 10 men and women sitting here today embody the truth that in America, regardless of where you start, there is no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve – even going to space,” said Duffy. “Together, we’ll unlock the Golden Age of exploration.”

The agency’s 24th astronaut class reported for duty at NASA Johnson in mid-September and immediately began their training. Their curriculum includes instruction and skills development for complex operations aboard the International Space Station, Artemis missions to the Moon, and beyond. Specifically, training includes robotics, land and water survival, geology, foreign language, space medicine and physiology, and more, while also conducting simulated spacewalks and flying high-performance jets.

After graduation, the 2025 class will join the agency’s active astronaut corps. Active astronauts are conducting science research aboard the space station while preparing for the transition to commercial space stations and the next great leaps in human exploration at the Moon and Mars. The candidates’ operational expertise, scientific knowledge, and technical backgrounds are essential to advancing NASA’s deep space exploration goals and sustaining a long-term human presence beyond low Earth orbit.

The 2025 astronaut candidates are:

Ben Bailey, 38, chief warrant officer 3, U.S. Army, was born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia and is completing a master’s in systems engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Bailey is a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate with more than 2,000 flight hours in more than 30 different rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. At the time of his selection, Bailey was responsible for the developmental testing of emerging technologies aboard Army rotary wing aircraft, specializing in the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook.

Lauren Edgar, 40, considers Sammamish, Washington, her hometown. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Earth sciences from Dartmouth College, and her master’s and doctorate in geology from the California Institute of Technology. Edgar has served as the deputy principal investigator for the Artemis III Geology Team. In this role, she helped define lunar science goals, geology activities NASA astronauts will conduct, and science operations for NASA’s return to the Moon. She also spent more than 17 years supporting Mars exploration rovers. She was working at the U.S. Geological Survey at the time of her selection.

Adam Fuhrmann, 35, major, U.S. Air Force, is from Leesburg, Virginia, and has accumulated more than 2,100 flight hours in 27 aircraft, including the F-16 and F-35. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in flight test engineering and systems engineering from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and Purdue University, respectively. He has deployed in support of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Resolute Support, logging 400 combat hours. At the time of his selection, Fuhrmann served as the director of operations for an Air Force flight test unit.

Cameron Jones, 35, major, U.S. Air Force, is a native of Savanna, Illinois. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. He’s an experienced test pilot with more than 1,600 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft, including 150 combat hours. The majority of his flight time is in the F-22 Raptor. At the time of his selection, Jones was an Air Force Academic Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Yuri Kubo, 40, is a native of Columbus, Indiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in electrical and computer engineering from Purdue University. He spent 12 years working across various teams at SpaceX, including as launch director for Falcon 9 rocket launches, director of avionics for the Starshield program, and director of Ground Segment. Earlier in his career, Kubo was a co-op student at NASA Johnson, where he completed multiple tours supporting the Orion spacecraft, the International Space Station, and the Space Shuttle Program. At the time of his selection, Kubo was the senior vice president of Engineering at Electric Hydrogen.

Rebecca Lawler, 38, is a native of Little Elm, Texas, and a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy. She is a former Navy P-3 pilot and experimental test pilot with more than 2,800 flight hours in more than 45 aircraft. Lawler holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the National Test Pilot School. She also is a U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate. Lawler also flew as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane hunter and during NASA’s Operation IceBridge. She was a test pilot for United Airlines at the time of selection.

Anna Menon, 39, is from Houston and earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University with a double major in mathematics and Spanish. She also holds a master’s in biomedical engineering from Duke University. Menon previously worked in the Mission Control Center at NASA Johnson, supporting medical hardware and software aboard the International Space Station. In 2024, Menon flew to space as a mission specialist and medical officer aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn. The mission saw a new female altitude record, the first commercial spacewalk, and the completion of approximately 40 research experiments. At the time of her selection, Menon was a senior engineer at SpaceX.

Imelda Muller, 34, considers Copake Falls, New York, her hometown. She formerly was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and served as an undersea medical officer after training at the Naval Undersea Medical Institute. Muller earned a bachelor’s degree in behavioral neuroscience from Northeastern University and a medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Her experience includes providing medical support during Navy operational diving training at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. At the time of her selection, Muller was completing a residency in anesthesia at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Erin Overcash, 34, lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy, is from Goshen, Kentucky. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s in bioastronautics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. A U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate, Overcash is an experienced F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet pilot with multiple deployments. She has logged more than 1,300 flight hours in 20 aircraft, including 249 carrier arrested landings. Overcash was part of the Navy’s World Class Athlete Program and trained full-time at the Olympic Training Center with the USA Rugby Women’s National Team. She was training for a squadron department head tour at the time of selection.

Katherine Spies, 43, is a native of San Diego and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California and a master’s in design engineering from Harvard University. She is a former Marine Corps AH-1 attack helicopter pilot and experimental test pilot, with more than 2,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, she served as UH-1Y/AH-1Z project officer and AH-1W platform coordinator during her time on active duty. At the time of her selection, Spies was the director of flight test engineering at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation.

With the addition of these 10 individuals, NASA now has recruited 370 astronaut candidates since selecting the original Mercury Seven in 1959.

“Today, our mission propels us even further as we prepare for our next giant leap with NASA’s newest astronaut candidate class,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA Johnson. “Representing America’s best and brightest, this astronaut candidate class will usher in the Golden Age of innovation and exploration as we push toward the Moon and Mars.”

The astronaut candidates will be available to speak with media virtually and in-person on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Media interested in this limited opportunity should contact the NASA Johnson Newsroom at 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. 

Find photos and additional information about the new astronaut candidates at:

https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts

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Bethany Stevens / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Chelsey Ballarte
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
chelsey.n.ballarte@nasa.gov

As part of the agency’s Artemis campaign, NASA has awarded Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, a CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) task order with an option to deliver a rover to the Moon’s South Pole region. NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) will search for volatile resources, such as ice, on the lunar surface and collect science data to support future exploration at the Moon and Mars.

“NASA is leading the world in exploring more of the Moon than ever before, and this delivery is just one of many ways we’re leveraging U.S. industry to support a long-term American presence on the lunar surface,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “Our rover will explore the extreme environment of the lunar South Pole, traveling to small, permanently shadowed regions to help inform future landing sites for our astronauts and better understand the Moon’s environment – important insights for sustaining humans over longer missions, as America leads our future in space.”

The CLPS task order has a total potential value of $190 million. This is the second CLPS lunar delivery awarded to Blue Origin. Their first delivery – using their Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1) robotic lander – is targeted for launch later this year to deliver NASA’s Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies and Laser Retroreflective Array payloads to the Moon’s South Pole region.

With this new award, Blue Origin will deliver VIPER to the lunar surface in late 2027, using a second Blue Moon MK1 lander, which is in production. NASA previously canceled the VIPER project and has since explored alternative approaches to achieve the agency’s goals of mapping potential off-planet resources, like water.

“NASA is committed to studying and exploring the Moon, including learning more about water on the lunar surface, to help determine how we can harness local resources for future human exploration,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We’ve been looking for creative, cost-effective approaches to accomplish these exploration goals. This private sector-developed landing capability enables this delivery and focuses our investments accordingly – supporting American leadership in space and ensuring our long-term exploration is robust and affordable.”

The task order, called CS-7, has an award base to design the payload-specific accommodations and to demonstrate how Blue Origin’s flight design will off-load the rover to the lunar surface. There is an option on the contract to deliver and safely deploy the rover to the Moon’s surface. NASA will make the decision to exercise that option after the execution and review of the base task and of Blue Origin’s first flight of the Blue Moon MK1 lander. This unique approach will reduce the agency’s cost and technical risk. The rover has a targeted science window for its 100-day mission that requires a landing by late 2027.

Blue Origin is responsible for the complete landing mission architecture and will conduct design, analysis, and testing of a large lunar lander capable of safely delivering the lunar volatiles science rover to the Moon. Blue Origin also will handle end-to-end payload integration, planning and support, and post-landing payload deployment activities. NASA will conduct rover operations and science planning.

“The search for lunar volatiles plays a key role in NASA’s exploration of the Moon, with important implications for both science and human missions under Artemis,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters. “This delivery could show us where ice is most likely to be found and easiest to access, as a future resource for humans. And by studying these sources of lunar water, we also gain valuable insight into the distribution and origin of volatiles across the solar system, helping us better understand the processes that have shaped our space environment and how our inner solar system has evolved.”

Through CLPS, American companies continue to demonstrate leadership in commercial space advancing capabilities and accomplishing NASA’s goal for a commercial lunar economy. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley led the VIPER rover development and will lead its science investigations, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston provided rover engineering development for Ames.

To learn more about CLPS and Artemis, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2546
alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Kenna Pell / Nilufar Ramji
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov / nilufar.ramji@nasa.gov  

NASA engineers are strapping on backpacks loaded with radios, cameras, and antennas to test technology that might someday keep explorers connected on the lunar surface. Their mission: test how astronauts on the Moon will stay connected during Artemis spacewalks using 3GPP (LTE/4G and 5G) and Wi-Fi technologies. 

With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require astronauts to communicate seamlessly with each other and with science teams back on Earth.  

“We’re working out what the software that uses these networks needs to look like,” said Raymond Wagner, principal investigator in NASA’s Lunar 3GPP project and member of Johnson Space Center’s Exploration Wireless Laboratory (JEWL) in Houston. “We’re prototyping it with commercial off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software to show what pieces are needed and how they interact.” 

The next big step comes with Artemis III, which will land a crew on the Moon and carry a 4G/LTE demonstration to stream video and audio from the astronauts on the lunar surface. 

 The vision goes further. “Right now the lander or rover will host the network,” Wagner said. “But if we go to the Moon to stay, we may eventually want actual cell towers. The spacesuit itself is already becoming the astronaut’s cell phone, and rovers could act as mobile hotspots. Altogether, these will be the building blocks of communication on the Moon.” 

Back at Johnson, teams are simulating lunar spacewalks, streaming video, audio, and telemetry over a private 5G network to a mock mission control. The work helps engineers refine how future systems will perform in challenging environments. Craters, lunar regolith, and other terrain features all affect how radio signals travel — lessons that will also carry over to Mars. 

For Wagner, the project is about shaping how humanity experiences the next era of exploration. “We’re aiming for true HD on the Moon,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty mind-blowing.”