NASA’s Artemis campaign will send astronauts, payloads, and science experiments into deep space on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super heavy-lift Moon rocket. Starting with Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft and its astronauts will be joined by other payloads atop an upgraded version of the SLS, called Block 1B. SLS Block 1B will deliver initial elements of a lunar space station designed to enable long term exploration of the lunar surface and pave the way for future journeys to Mars. To fly these advanced payloads, engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are building a cone-shaped adapter that is key to SLS Block 1B.

The payload adapter, nestled within the universal stage adapter sitting atop the SLS Block 1B’s exploration upper stage, acts as a connecting point to secure a large payload that is co-manifested – or flying along with – the Orion spacecraft. The adapter consists of eight composite panels with an aluminum honeycomb core and two aluminum rings.

Beginning with the Artemis IV mission, SLS Block 1B will feature a new, more powerful upper stage that provides a substantial increase in payload mass, volume, and energy over the first variant of the rocket that is launching Artemis missions I through III. SLS Block 1B can send 84,000 pounds of payload – including both a crewed Orion spacecraft and a 10-metric ton (22,046 lbs.) co-manifested payload riding in a separate cargo compartment – to the Moon in a single launch.

Artemis IV’s co-manifested payload will be the Lunar I-Hab, one of the initial elements of the Gateway lunar space station. Built by ESA (European Space Agency), the Lunar I-Hab provides expanded capability for astronauts to live, work, conduct science experiments, and prepare for their missions to the lunar surface.

Before the Artemis IV mission structure was finalized, NASA engineers needed to design and test the new payload adapter.

“With SLS, there’s an intent to have as much commonality between flights as possible,” says Brent Gaddes, Lead for the Orion Stage Adapter and Payload Adapter in the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at NASA Marshall.

However, with those payloads changing typically every flight, the connecting payload adapter must change as well.

“We knew there needed to be a lot of flexibility to the payload adapter, and that we needed to be able to respond quickly in-house once the payloads were finalized,” says Gaddes.

A Flexible Approach

The required flexibility was not going to be satisfied with a one-size-fits-all approach, according to Gaddes.

Since different size payload adapters could be needed, Marshall is using a flexible approach to assemble the payload adapter that eliminates the need for heavy and expensive tooling used to hold the parts in place during assembly.  A computer model of each completed part is created using a process called structured light scanning. The computer model provides the precise locations where holes need to be drilled to hold the parts together so that the completed payload adapter will be exactly the right size.

“Structured light has helped us reduce costs and increase flexibility on the payload adapter and allows us to pivot,” says Gaddes. “If the call came down to build a cargo version of SLS to launch 40 metric tons, for example, we can use our same tooling with the structured light approach to adapt to different sizes, whether that’s for an adapter with a larger diameter that’s shorter, or one with a smaller diameter that’s longer. It’s faster and cheaper.”  

NASA Marshall engineers use an automated placement robot to manufacture eight lightweight composite panels from a graphite epoxy material. The robot performs fast, accurate lamination following preprogrammed paths, its high speed and precision resulting in lower cost and significantly faster production than other manufacturing methods.

At NASA Marshall, an engineering development unit of the payload has been successfully tested which demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load. Another test version currently in development, called the qualification unit, will also be tested to NASA standards for composite structures to ensure that the flight unit will perform as expected.

“The payload adapter is shaped like a cone, and historically, most of the development work on structures like this has been on cylinders, so that’s one of the many reasons why testing it is so important,” says Gaddes. “NASA will test as high a load as possible to learn what produces structural failure. Any information we learn here will feed directly into the body of information NASA has pulled together over the years on how to analyze structures like this, and of course that’s something that’s shared with industry as well. It’s a win for everybody.”

With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.

News Media Contact

Jonathan Deal
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 
256-544-0034 
jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov

When NASA’s Artemis IV astronauts journey to the Moon, they will make the inaugural visit to Gateway, humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit. Shown here, technicians carefully guide HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost)—a foundational element of Gateway—onto a stand in the cleanroom at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. The element’s intricate structure, designed to support astronauts and science in lunar orbit, has entered the cleanroom after successfully completing a series of rigorous environmental stress tests.

In the cleanroom, technicians will make final installations before preparing the module for transport to the United States, a key milestone on its path to launch. This process includes installing and testing valves and hatches, performing leak checks, and integrating external secondary structures. Once these steps are finished, the module will be packaged for shipment to Gilbert, Arizona, where Northrop Grumman will complete its outfitting.

As one of Gateway’s four pressurized modules, HALO will provide Artemis astronauts with space to live, work, conduct scientific research, and prepare for missions to the lunar surface. The module will also support internal and external science payloads, including a space weather instrument suite attached via a Canadian Space Agency Small Orbital Replacement Unit Robotic Interface, host the Lunar Link communications system developed by European Space Agency, and offer docking ports for visiting vehicles, including lunar landers and NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

Developed in collaboration with industry and international partners, Gateway is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis campaign to advance science and exploration on and around the Moon in preparation for the next giant leap: the first human missions to Mars.

Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA’s 10th rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, carrying astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. The agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is targeting launch on Wednesday, March 12, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The launch will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain as commander and Nichole Ayers as pilot, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov as mission specialists. This is the first spaceflight for Ayers and Peskov, and the second mission to the orbiting laboratory for McClain and Onishi.

Media accreditation deadlines for the Crew-10 launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program are as follows:

• International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13.
• U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations must apply by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, Feb. 23.

All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. For questions about accreditation or special logistical requests, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Requests for space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections are due by Friday, Feb. 21.

For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371.

For launch coverage and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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Joshua Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Steve Siceloff / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov

Kenna Pell
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov

Students from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, will have the chance to connect with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station.

Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:40 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.

The event for kindergarten through 12th grade students will be hosted at Rocky Hill Library in Rocky Hill, near Hartford, Connecticut. The goal is to engage area students by introducing them to the wide variety of STEM career opportunities available in space exploration and related fields.

Media interested in covering the event must contact by 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14, to Gina Marie Davies at: gdavies@rockyhillct.gov or 860-258-2530.

For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.

See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones 
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Students from the Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School in Somerset, New Jersey, will have the chance to connect with NASA astronaut Nick Hague as he answers prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related questions from aboard the International Space Station.

Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 11, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media.

Media interested in covering the event must RSVP by 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 6, to Jeanette Allison at: oyildiz@energysmartschool.org or 732-412-7643.

For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network.

Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery.

See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones 
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

For the first time, NASA is hosting a live Twitch event from about 250 miles off the Earth aboard the International Space Station, bringing new audiences closer to space than ever before. Viewers will have the opportunity to hear from NASA astronauts live and ask questions about life in orbit.

The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 12, livestreamed on the agency’s official Twitch channel:

https://www.twitch.tv/nasa

“This Twitch event from space is the first of many,” said Brittany Brown, director, Office of Communications Digital and Technology Division, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We spoke with digital creators at TwitchCon about their desire for streams designed with their communities in mind, and we listened. In addition to our spacewalks, launches, and landings, we’ll host more Twitch-exclusive streams like this one. Twitch is one of the many digital platforms we use to reach new audiences and get them excited about all things space.”

Although NASA has streamed events to Twitch previously, this conversation will be the first NASA event from the International Space Station developed specifically for the agency’s Twitch platform.

During the event, viewers will hear from NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is currently aboard the orbiting laboratory, and NASA astronaut Matt Dominick, who recently returned to Earth after the agency’s Crew-8 mission.

The NASA astronauts will discuss daily life aboard the space station and the research conducted in microgravity. Additionally, the event will highlight ways for Twitch users to engage with NASA, including citizen science projects and science, technology, engineering, and math programs designed to inspire the Artemis Generation.

NASA is committed to exploring new digital platforms to engage with new audiences. Last year, the agency introduced its own streaming platform, NASA+, and redesigned nasa.gov and science.nasa.gov websites, creating a new homebase for agency news, Artemis information, and more.

To keep up with the latest news from NASA and learn more about the agency, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

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Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov

Editor’s note: This release was updated on Jan. 31, 2025. Axiom Mission 4 will launch from Florida no earlier than spring 2025.

NASA and its international partners have approved the crew for Axiom Space’s fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, launching from Florida no earlier than spring 2025.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the commercial mission, while ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as pilot. The two mission specialists are ESA (European Space Agency) project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary.

“I am excited to see continued interest and dedication for the private astronaut missions aboard the International Space Station,” said Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s International Space Station Program at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “As NASA looks toward the future of low Earth orbit, private astronaut missions help pave the way and expand access to the unique microgravity environment.”

The Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4, crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and travel to the space station. Once docked, the private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities. The mission will send the first ISRO astronaut to the station as part of a joint effort between NASA and the Indian space agency. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.

“Working with the talented and diverse Ax-4 crew has been a deeply rewarding experience,” said Whitson. “Witnessing their selfless dedication and commitment to expanding horizons and creating opportunities for their nations in space exploration is truly remarkable. Each crew member brings unique strengths and perspectives, making our mission not just a scientific endeavor, but a testament to human ingenuity and teamwork. The importance of our mission is about pushing the limits of what we can achieve together and inspiring future generations to dream bigger and reach farther.”

The first private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the space station.

The International Space Station is a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that enables research not possible on Earth. For more than 24 years, NASA has supported a continuous human presence aboard the orbiting laboratory, through which 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. NASA’s goal is to achieve a strong economy in low Earth orbit where the agency can purchase services as one of many customers to meet its science and research objectives in microgravity. NASA’s commercial strategy for low Earth orbit will provide the government with reliable and safe services at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while also continuing to use low Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions. 

Learn more about NASA’s commercial space strategy at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercial-space

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Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
anna.c.schneider@nasa.gov

Alexis DeJarnette
Axiom Space
850-368-9446
alexis@axiomspace.com

NASA awarded new study contracts Thursday to help support life and work on the lunar surface. As part of the agency’s blueprint for deep space exploration to support the Artemis campaign, nine American companies in seven states are receiving awards.

The Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships Appendix R contracts will advance learning in managing everyday challenges in the lunar environment identified in the agency’s Moon to Mars architecture. 

“These contract awards are the catalyst for developing critical capabilities for the Artemis missions and the everyday needs of astronauts for long-term exploration on the lunar surface,” said Nujoud Merancy, deputy associate administrator, Strategy and Architecture Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “The strong response to our request for proposals is a testament to the interest in human exploration and the growing deep-space economy. This is an important step to a sustainable return to the Moon that, along with our commercial partners, will lead to innovation and expand our knowledge for future lunar missions, looking toward Mars.”

The selected proposals have a combined value of $24 million, spread across multiple companies, and propose innovative strategies and concepts for logistics and mobility solutions including advanced robotics and autonomous capabilities:

• Blue Origin, Merritt Island, Florida – logistical carriers; logistics handling and offloading; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; surface cargo and mobility; and integrated strategies
• Intuitive Machines, Houston, Texas – logistics handling and offloading; and surface cargo and mobility
• Leidos, Reston, Virginia – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; and integrated strategies
• Lockheed Martin, Littleton, Colorado – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; and surface cargo and mobility
• MDA Space, Houston – surface cargo and mobility
• Moonprint, Dover, Delaware – logistical carriers
• Pratt Miller Defense, New Hudson, Michigan – surface cargo and mobility
• Sierra Space, Louisville, Colorado – logistical carriers; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; and integrated strategies
• Special Aerospace Services, Huntsville, Alabama – logistical carriers; logistics handling and offloading; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; surface cargo and mobility; and integrated strategies

NASA is working with industry, academia, and the international community to continuously evolve the blueprint for crewed exploration and taking a methodical approach to investigating solutions that set humanity on a path to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

For more on NASA’s mission to return to the Moon, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis

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Cindy Anderson / James Gannon
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
cindy.a.anderson@nasa.gov / james.h.gannon@nasa.gov 

Insights into metal alloy solidification

Researchers report details of phase and structure in the solidification of metal alloys on the International Space Station, including formation of microstructures. Because these microstructures determine a material’s mechanical properties, this work could support improvements in techniques for producing coatings and additive manufacturing or 3D printing processes.

METCOMP, an ESA (European Space Agency) investigation, studied solidification in microgravity using transparent organic mixtures as stand-ins for metal alloys. Conducting the research in microgravity removed the influence of convection and other effects of gravity. Results help scientists better understand and validate models of solidification mechanisms, enabling better forecasting of microstructures and improving manufacturing processes.

Measuring the height of upper-atmospheric electrical discharges

Researchers determined the height of a blue discharge from a thundercloud using ground-based electric field measurements and space-based optical measurements from Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM). This finding helps scientists better understand how these high-altitude lightning-related events affect atmospheric chemistry and could help improve atmospheric models and climate and weather predictions.

ESA’s ASIM is an Earth observation facility that studies severe thunderstorms and upper-atmospheric lighting events and their role in the Earth’s atmosphere and climate. Upper-atmospheric lightning, also known as transient luminous events, occurs well above the altitudes of normal lightning and storm clouds. The data collected by ASIM could support research on the statistical properties of many upper atmosphere lightning events, such as comparison of peak intensities of blue and red pulses with reports from lightning detection networks.

Modeling a complex neutron star

Scientists report that they can use modeling of neutron star PSRJ1231−1411’s X-ray pulses to infer its mass and radius and narrow the possible behaviors of the dense matter at its core. This finding provides a better understanding of the composition and structure of these celestial objects, improving models that help answer questions about conditions in the universe.

The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer provides high-precision measurements of pulses of X-ray radiation from neutron stars. This particular neutron star presented challenges in finding a fit between models and data, possibly due to fundamental issues with its pulse profile. The authors recommend a program of simulations using synthetic data to determine whether there are fundamental issues with this type of pulse profile that could prevent efforts to obtain tighter and more robust constraints.

Measurements from space support wildfire risk predictions

Researchers demonstrated that data from the International Space Station’s ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) instrument played a significant role in the ability of machine learning algorithms to predict wildfire susceptibility. This result could help support development of effective strategies for predicting, preventing, monitoring, and managing wildfires.

As the frequency and severity of wildfires increases worldwide, experts need reliable models of fire susceptibility to protect public safety and support natural resource planning and risk management. ECOSTRESS measures evapotranspiration, water use efficiency, and other plant-water dynamics on Earth. Researchers report that its water use efficiency data consistently emerged as the leading factor in predicting wildfires, with evaporative stress and topographic slope data also significant.

Combining instruments provides better emissions data

Scientists found that averaging data from the International Space Station’s OCO‐3 and EMIT external instruments can accurately measure the rate of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. This work could improve emissions monitoring and help communities respond to climate change.

Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion make up nearly a third of human-caused emissions and are a major contributor to climate change. In many places, though, scientists do not know exactly how much carbon dioxide these sources emit. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 or OCO-3 can quantify emissions over large areas and Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation data can help determine emissions from individual facilities. The researchers suggest future work continue to investigate the effect of wind conditions on measurements.

Thunderstorm phenomena observed from space

Observations by the International Space Station’s Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM) instrument during a tropical cyclone in 2019 provide insight into the formation and nature of blue corona discharges often observed at the tops of thunderclouds. A better understanding of such processes in Earth’s upper atmosphere could improve atmospheric models and weather and climate predictions.

Scientists do not fully understand the conditions that lead to formation of blue corona discharges, bursts of electrical streamers, which are precursors to lightning. Observations from the ground are affected by scattering and absorption in the clouds. ASIM, a facility from ESA (European Space Agency), provides a unique opportunity for observing these high-atmosphere events from space.

In December 2024, five CubeSats deployed into Earth’s orbit from the International Space Station. Among them was LignoSat, a wooden satellite from JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) that investigates the use of wood in space. Findings could offer a more sustainable alternative to conventional satellites.

A previous experiment aboard station exposed three species of wood to the space environment to help researchers determine the best option for LignoSat. The final design used 10 cm long honoki magnolia wood panels assembled with a Japanese wood-joinery method.

Researchers will use sensors to evaluate strain on the wood and measure its responses to temperature and radiation in space. Geomagnetic levels will also be monitored to determine whether the geomagnetic field can penetrate the body of the wooden satellite and interfere with its technological capabilities. Investigating uses for wood in space could lead to innovative solutions in the future.

Two NASA astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station, conducting U.S. spacewalk 91 on Thursday, Jan. 16, and U.S. spacewalk 92 on Thursday, Jan. 23, to complete station upgrades.

NASA also will discuss the pair of upcoming spacewalks during a news conference at 2 p.m. EST Friday, Jan. 10, on NASA+ from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

Participants in the news conference from NASA Johnson include:

• Bill Spetch, operations integration manager
• Nicole McElroy, spacewalk flight director

Media interested in participating in person or by phone must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov. To ask questions, media must dial in no later than 15 minutes before the start of the news conference. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. Questions also may be submitted on social media using #AskNASA.

The first spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Jan. 16, and last about six and a half hours. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams will replace a rate gyro assembly that helps provide orientation control for the station, install patches to cover damaged areas of light filters for an X-ray telescope called NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), and replace a reflector device used for navigational data on one of the international docking adapters. Additionally, the pair will check access areas and connector tools that will be used for future maintenance work on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

Hague will serve as spacewalk crew member 1 and will wear a suit with red stripes. Williams will serve as spacewalk crew member 2 and will wear an unmarked suit. This will be the fourth for Hague and the eighth for Williams. It will be the 273rd spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

The second spacewalk is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Jan. 23, and last about six and a half hours. NASA will provide live coverage beginning at 5:30 a.m. on NASA+.

Astronauts will remove a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collect samples of surface material for analysis from the Destiny laboratory and the Quest airlock to see whether microorganisms may exist on the exterior of the orbital complex, and prepare a spare elbow joint for the Canadarm2 robotic arm in the event it is needed for a replacement.

Following completion of U.S. spacewalk 91, NASA will name the participating crew members for U.S. spacewalk 92. It will be the 274th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

Editor’s Note: This advisory was updated Jan. 2, 2025, to reflect a new date and time for the Earth to space call.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will speak with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, and Don Pettit on Wednesday, Jan. 8, to discuss their mission aboard the International Space Station. The call previously was scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6.

The Earth to space call coverage begins at 1:25 p.m. EST on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media. 

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and eventually, to Mars.

For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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Meira Bernstein / Josh Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov

With a look back at 2024, NASA is celebrating its many innovative and inspiring accomplishments this year including for the first time, landing new science and technology on the Moon with an American company, pushing the boundaries of exploration by launching a new mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon Europa; maintaining 24 years of continuous human exploration off the Earth aboard the International Space Station, and unveiling the first look at its supersonic quiet aircraft for the benefit of humanity.

The agency also shared the wonder of a total eclipse with millions of Americans, conducted the final flight of its Ingenuity helicopter on the Red Planet, demonstrated the first laser communications capability in deep space, tested the next generation solar sail in space, made new scientific discoveries with its James Webb Space Telescope, completed a year-long Mars simulation on Earth with crew, announced the newest class of Artemis Generation astronauts, and much more.

“In 2024, NASA made leap after giant leap to explore, discover, and inspire – all while bringing real, tangible, and substantial benefits to the American people and to all of humanity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “We deepened the commercial and international partnerships that will help NASA lead humanity back to the Moon and then to the red sands of Mars. We launched new missions to study our solar system and our universe in captivating new ways. We observed our changing Earth through our eyes in the sky – our ever-growing fleet of satellites and instruments – and shared that data with all of humanity. And we opened the doors to new possibilities in aviation, new breakthroughs on the International Space Station, and new wonders in space travel.” 

Through its Moon to Mars exploration approach, the agency continued moving forward with its Artemis campaign, including progress toward its first mission around the Moon with crew in more than 50 years and advancing plans to explore more of the Moon than ever before. So far in 2024, 15 countries signed the Artemis Accords, committing to the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of space with the United States.

As part of efforts to monitor climate change, the agency launched multiple satellites to study our changing planet and opened its second Earth Information Center to provide data to a wider audience.

With the release of its latest Economic Impact Report, NASA underscored the agency’s $75.6 billion impact on the U.S. economy, value to society, and return on investment for taxpayers. 

“To invest in NASA is to invest in American workers, American innovation, the American economy, and American economic competitiveness. Through continued investments in our workforce and our infrastructure, NASA will continue to propel American leadership on Earth, in the skies, and in the stars,” said Nelson. 

Key 2024 agency highlights across its mission areas include:

Preparing for Moon, Mars

This year, NASA made strides toward the Artemis Generation of scientific discovery at the Moon while validating operations and systems to prepare for human missions to Mars. The agency advanced toward Artemis II, the first crewed flight under Artemis:

• NASA announced results of its Orion heat shield investigation and updated its timelines for Artemis II and III.
• Teams delivered the core stage and launch vehicle stage adapter of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and began stacking the rocket’s booster segments.
• Engineers carried out a series of tests of the mobile launcher and systems at NASA Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39B ahead of the test flight and added an emergency egress system to keep crew and other personnel at the launch pad safe in the case of an emergency.
• NASA performed key integrated testing of the Orion spacecraft that will send four astronauts around the Moon and bring them home, including testing inside an altitude chamber simulating the vacuum conditions of deep space.
• The crew and other teams performed key training activities to prepare for flight, including practicing recovery operations at sea, as well as launch countdown and mission simulations. 
• In February, the first Moon landing through the agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative brought NASA science to the lunar surface on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander successfully capturing data that will help us better understand the Moon’s environment and improve landing precision and safety.
• In August, NASA announced that a new set of NASA science experiments and technology demonstrations will arrive at the lunar South Pole in 2027 following the agency’s latest CLPS initiative delivery award.

• To return valuable samples from Mars to Earth, NASA sought innovative designs and announced a new strategy review team to assess various design studies to reduce cost, risk, and complexity.
• NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) spacecraft celebrated 10 years of exploration of the Red Planet’s upper atmosphere.
• After three years, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter ended its mission in January, with dozens more flights than planned.
• In September, the NASA Space Communications and Navigation team awarded a contract to Intuitive Machines to support the agency’s lunar relay systems as part of the Near Space Network, operated by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

• NASA identified an updated set of nine potential landing regions near the lunar South Pole for its Artemis III mission.
• Capturing the current state of the Moon to Mars architecture, NASA released the second revision of its Architecture Definition Document.
• NASA formalized two international agreements for key Artemis elements, including with the United Arab Emirates for the Gateway airlock module, and with Japan to provide a pressurized rover for the lunar surface.
• Astronauts, scientists, and engineers took part in testing key technologies and evaluating hardware needed to work at the Moon, including simulating moonwalks in geologically Moon-like areas of Arizona, practiced integration between the crew and mission controllers, participated in human factors testing for Gateway, and evaluated the developmental hardware.
• NASA worked collaboratively with SpaceX and Blue Origin on their human lunar landers for Artemis missions, exercising an option under existing contracts to develop cargo variants of their human landers.
• In August, as part of its commitment to a robust, sustainable lunar exploration program for the benefit of all, NASA announced it issued a Request for Information to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) Moon rover.
• The agency selected three companies to advance capabilities for a lunar terrain vehicle that Artemis astronauts will use to travel around the lunar surface.
• NASA completed a critical design review on the second mobile launcher, which will launch the more powerful Block 1B version of the SLS rocket.
• Engineers at NASA Kennedy continued outfitting the Artemis III and IV Orion crew modules and received the European-built Orion service module for Artemis III; they also received several sections of the Artemis III and IV SLS core stages, and upgraded High Bay 2 in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
• NASA completed its second RS-25 certification test series at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, setting the stage for production of new engines to help power future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.
• The CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) 1 crew completed a 378-day mission in a ground-based Mars habitat at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

Observing, Learning About Earth

NASA collects data about our home planet from space and on land, helping understand how our climate on Earth is changing. Some of the agency’s key accomplishments in Earth science this year include:

• After launching into space in February, NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite mission is successfully transmitting first-of-their-kind measurements of ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate.
• Using the agency’s TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution) instrument, NASA made available new near-real time data providing air pollution observations at unprecedented resolutions – down to the scale of individual neighborhoods.
• Launched in May and June, NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-Infrared Experiment) CubeSats started collecting data on the amount of heat in the form of far-infrared radiation that the Arctic and Antarctic environments emit to space.
• NASA rolled out the Disaster Response Coordination System, a new resource that delivers up-to-date information on fires, earthquakes, landslides, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other extreme events to emergency managers.
• The agency partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to open the Earth Information Center exhibit.

Exploring Our Solar System, Universe

NASA’s Europa Clipper embarked Oct. 14 on its long voyage to Jupiter, where it will investigate Europa, a moon with an enormous subsurface ocean that may have conditions to support life. NASA collaborated with multiple partners on content and social media related to the launch, including engagements with the National Hockey League, U.S. Figure Skating, 7-Eleven, e.l.f., Girl Scouts, Crayola, Library of Congress, and others. NASA’s 2024 space exploration milestones also include: 

• NASA’s groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope marked more than two years in space, transforming our view of the universe as designed, by studying the most distant galaxies ever observed, while raising exciting new questions about the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system.
• As part of an asteroid sample exchange, NASA officially transferred to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) a portion of the asteroid Bennu sample collected by the agency’s OSIRIS-Rex (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission in a ceremony on Aug. 22.
• After surviving multiple challenges this year, NASA’s Voyager mission continues to collect data on the furthest reaches of our Sun’s influences.

• NASA selected a new space telescope for development that will survey ultraviolet light across the entire sky, called UVEX (UltraViolet Explorer).
• This year, all remaining major components were delivered to NASA Goddard to begin the integration phase for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
• NASA developed, tested, and launched the patch kit that astronauts will use to repair the agency’s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) telescope on the International Space Station.
• The agency continued preparing the SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) mission to launch by April 2025.
• To manage the maturation of technologies necessary to develop the Habitable Worlds Observatory telescope, NASA established a project office at NASA Goddard.
• NASA and partners declared that the Sun reached solar maximum in 2024, a period of heightened solar activity when space weather becomes more frequent.
• The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a joint mission between ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA, discovered its 5,000th comet in March.
• NASA’s Sounding Rocket Program provided low-cost access to space for scientific research, technology development, and educational missions. NASA launched 14 sounding rocket missions in 2024. Scientists announced findings from a sounding rocket launched in 2022 that confirmed the existence of a long-sought global electric field at Earth.
• The agency established a new class of astrophysics missions, called Astrophysics Probe Explorers, designed to fill a gap between NASA’s flagship and smaller-scale missions.

Living, Conducting Research in Space

In 2024, a total of 25 people lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, helping to complete science for the benefit of humanity, open access to space to more people, and support exploration to the Moon in preparation for Mars. A total of 14 spacecraft visited the microgravity laboratory in 2024, including eight commercial resupply missions from Northrop Grumman and SpaceX, as well as international partner missions, delivering more than 40,000 pounds of science investigations, tools, and critical supplies to the space station. NASA also helped safely return the uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft to Earth, concluding a three-month flight test to the International Space Station. In addition:

• In March, NASA welcomed its newest class of Artemis Generation astronauts in a graduation ceremony. The agency also sought new astronaut candidates, and more 8,000 people applied.
• NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa returned to Earth at the conclusion of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission aboard the International Space Station. The three crew members, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, splashed down in March off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, completing a six-and-a-half-month mission contributing to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations.
• In June, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely arrived at the space station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft following launch of their flight test. With Starliner’s arrival, it was the first time in station history three different spacecraft that carried crew to station were docked at the same time. Starliner returned uncrewed in September following a decision by NASA. Wilmore and Williams, now serving as part of the agency’s Crew-9 mission, will return to Earth in February 2025.
• NASA astronaut Don Pettit, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, arrived at the orbital laboratory in September to begin a six-month mission.
• Completing a six-month research mission in September, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson returned to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft.
• NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov launched on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the space station.
• Concluding a nearly eight-month science mission, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission safely returned to Earth, splashing down on Oct. 25, off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
• NASA and Axiom Space successfully completed the third private astronaut mission to the space station in February, following an 18-day mission, where the crew conducted 30 experiments, public outreach, and commercial activities in microgravity.
• The agency announced SpaceX was selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle, which will safely move the space station out of orbit and into a remote area of an ocean at the end of its operations.
• NASA and SpaceX monitored operations as the company’s Dragon spacecraft performed its first demonstration of reboost capabilities for the space station.
• NASA concluded the final mission of its Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiment, or Saffire, putting a blazing end to an eight-year series of investigations looking at  fire’s behavior in space.
• A robotic surgical tool aboard space station was successfully controlled remotely by surgeons on Earth. The Robotic Surgery Tech Demo tested the performance of a small robot to evaluate the effects of microgravity and time delays between space and ground.
• The first successful metal 3D print was conducted aboard the space station, depositing a small s-curve in liquified stainless steel for the Metal 3D Printer investigation to test additive manufacturing of small metal parts in microgravity for equipment maintenance on future long-duration missions.
• In 2024, 17 NASA Biological and Physical Science research payloads were delivered to the orbital laboratory, spanning quantum, plant biology, and physical sciences investigations.
• More than 825,000 photos of Earth were taken from the space station in 2024 so far, contributing to research tracking how our planet’s landscapes are changing over time. Expedition 71 produced more than 630,000 images, the most taken during a single mission. In total, more than 5.3 million photos have been taken from the space station, providing imagery for urban light studies, studies of lightning flashes, and 14 natural disaster events in 2024 alone.

Imagining Future Flight

NASA researchers worked to advance innovations that will transform U.S. aviation, furthering the Sustainable Flight National Partnership and other efforts to help the country reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. NASA also unveiled its X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, the centerpiece of its Quesst mission to make quiet overland supersonic flight a reality. NASA aeronautics initiatives also worked to bring air taxis, delivery drones, and other revolutionary technology closer to deployment to benefit the U.S. public and industry. Over the past year, the agency:

• Began testing the quiet supersonic X-59’s engine ahead of its first flight.
• Made further progress in research areas of Quesst mission, including ground recording station testing and advancement and structural tests on the aircraft.
• Publicly unveiled the X-59 in January, providing the first look at this unique aircraft.
• Tested a wind-tunnel model of the X-66, an experimental aircraft designed to reduce the carbon footprint.
• Began building the X-66 simulator that will allow pilots and engineers to run real-life scenarios in a safe environment.
• Funded new studies looking at the future of sustainable aircraft for the 2050 timeframe and beyond.
• Built a new simulator to study how passengers may experience air taxi rides. The results will help designers create new aircraft types with passenger comfort in mind.
• Developed a computer software tool called OVERFLOW to predict aircraft noise and aerodynamic performance. This tool is now being used by several air taxi manufacturers to test how propellers or wings perform.
• In collaboration with Sikorsky and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), flew two helicopters autonomously using NASA-designed collision avoidance software.
• Designed and flew a camera pod with sensors to help advance computer vision for autonomous aviation.
• Launched a new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics kit focused on Advanced Air Mobility so students can learn more about air taxis and drones.
• Continued to reduce traffic and save fuel at major U.S. airports as part of NASA’s to work to improve air travel and make it more sustainable.
• Worked with partners to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind air traffic management concept for aircraft to safely operate at higher altitudes.
• Advanced Hybrid-Electric technologies with GE Aerospace under the Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core project.
• Conducted new ground and flight tests for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration project, which works to create hybrid electric powertrains for regional and single-aisle aircraft, alongside GE Aerospace and magniX.
• Collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration and police and fire departments to strategize on integrating public safety drones into the national airspace.
• Launched a new science, technology, engineering, and mathematics kit focused on Advanced Air Mobility so students can learn more about air taxis and drones.

Improving Life on Earth, in Space with Technology

NASA develops essential technologies to drive exploration and the space economy. In 2024, NASA leveraged partnerships to advance technologies and test new capabilities to help the agency develop a sustainable presence on the lunar surface and beyond, while benefiting life on our home planet and in low Earth orbit. The following are 2024 space technology advancements:

• Deployed NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System in space, marking a successful test of its composite boom technology.
• Performed record-breaking laser communications with NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration by sending a laser signal from Earth to NASA’s Psyche spacecraft about 290 million miles away.
  • NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System and Deep Space Optical Communications were named among TIME’s Inventions of 2024, along with the agency’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.
• Supported 84 tests of technology payloads via 38 flights with six U.S. commercial flight providers through NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program.
• Enabled the first NASA-supported researcher to fly with their payload aboard a commercial suborbital rocket.
• Advanced critical capabilities for autonomous networks of small spacecraft with NASA’s Starling demonstration, the first satellite swarm to autonomously distribute information and operations data between spacecraft.
• Demonstrated space-age fuel gauge technology, known as a Radio Frequency Mass Gauge, on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander, to develop technology to accurately measure spacecraft fuel levels.
• Performed an in-space tank to tank transfer of cryogenic propellent (liquid oxygen) on the third flight test of SpaceX’s Starship.
• Licensed a new 3-D printed superalloy, dubbed GRX-810, to four American companies to make stronger, more durable airplane and spacecraft parts.
• Manufactured 3D-printed, liquid oxygen/hydrogen thrust chamber hardware as part of NASA’s Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology project, which earned the agency’s 2024 “Invention of The Year” award for its contributions to NASA and commercial industry’s deep space exploration goals.
• Pioneered quantum discovery using the Cold Atom Lab, including producing the first dual-species Bose-Einstein Condensates in space, the first dual-species atom interferometers in space, and demonstrating the first ultra-cool quantum sensor for the first time in space.
• Announced two new consortia to carry out ground-based research investigations and conduct activities for NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Space Biology Program, totaling $5 million.
• Awarded $4.25 million across the finales of three major NASA Centennial Challenges, including Break the Ice, Watts on the Moon, and Deep Space Food to support NASA’s Artemis missions and future journeys into deep space. 
• Launched a collaborative process to capture the aerospace community’s most pervasive technical challenges, resulting in a ranked list of 187 civil space shortfalls to help guide future technology development projects, investments, and technology roadmaps.

Growing Global Partnerships

Through the Artemis Accords, almost 50 nations have joined the United States, led by NASA with the U.S. State Department, in a voluntary commitment to engage in the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The Artemis Accords represent a robust and diverse group of nation states, representing all regions of the world, working together for the safe, transparent, and responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond with NASA. More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the weeks and months ahead.

• During a May workshop with Artemis Accords signatories in Montreal, Canada, NASA led a tabletop exercise for 24 countries centered on further defining and implementing key tenets, including considering views on non-interference, interoperability, and scientific data sharing among nations.
• A NASA delegation participated in the 75th International Astronautical Congress in Milan. During the congress, NASA co-chaired the Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting, which brought together 42 nations furthering discussions on the safe and responsible use of space for the benefit of all.

Celebrating Total Solar Eclipse

During the total solar eclipse on April 8, NASA helped the nation enjoy the event safely and engaged millions of people with in-person events, live online coverage, and citizen science opportunities. NASA also funded scientists around North America to take advantage of this unique position of the Sun, Moon, and Earth to learn more about the Sun and its connection to our home planet. Highlights of the solar celebration include:

• The space station crew were among the millions viewing the solar eclipse.
• NASA collaborated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Google, NCAA Women’s Final Four, Peanuts Worldwide, Microsoft, Sésamo, LEGO, Barbie, Major League Baseball, Third Rock Radio, Discovery Education, and others on eclipse-inspired products and social posts to support awareness of the eclipse and the importance of safe viewing.
• More than 50 student teams participated in NASA’s Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, with some becoming the first to measure atmospheric gravity waves caused by eclipses.

Building Low Earth Orbit Economy

In August, NASA announced the development of its low Earth orbit microgravity strategy by releasing 42 objectives for stakeholder feedback. The strategy helps to guide the next generation of human presence in low Earth orbit and advance microgravity science, technology, and exploration. NASA is refining the objectives with collected input and will finalize the strategy before the end of the year. Additional advancements include:

• NASA modified agreements for two funded commercial space station partners that are on track to develop low Earth orbit destinations for the agency and other customers.
• A NASA-funded commercial space station, Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef, completed multiple testing milestones for its critical life support system as part of the agency’s efforts for new destinations in low Earth orbit.
• A full-scale ultimate burst pressure test on Sierra Space’s LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat structure was conducted, an element of a NASA-funded commercial space station.
• The agency’s industry partners, through the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative and Small Business Innovation Research Ignite initiative, completed safety milestones, successful flight tests, and major technological advancements.
• As NASA opens access to space by working with private industry, the agency shared its medical expertise, human system integration knowledge, utilization requirements, and commercial space food insight to aid in developing safe, reliable, innovative, and cost-effective space stations.
• To address a rapidly changing space operating environment and ensure its preservation for generations to come, NASA released its integrated Space Sustainability Strategy in April.
• The agency tested the Sierra Space Dream Chaser spaceplane for the extreme environments of space at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.
• NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland streamed 4K video footage from an aircraft to the space station and back for the first time using optical, or laser, communications.

Inspiring Artemis Generation of STEM Students

NASA continues to offer a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and activities, reaching and engaging the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. The agency’s STEM engagements are enhanced through collaborations with partner organizations, the distribution of various grants, and additional strategic activities. Key 2024 STEM highlights include:

• Awarded nearly $45 million to 21 higher-education institutions to help build capacity for research, and announced the recipients of grants that will support scientific and technical research projects for more than 20 universities and organizations across the United States.
• Planted a “Moon Tree,” a seedling that traveled around the Moon and back aboard the agency’s Artemis I mission in 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The event highlighted a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service that invited organizations across the country to host the seedlings.
• Partnered with Microsoft’s Minecraft to engage students in a game-based learning platform, where players can experience NASA’s discoveries with interactive modules on star formation, planets, and galaxy types, modeled using real James Webb Space Telescope images.
• Collaborate with the U.S. Department of Education to bring STEM to students during after-school hours under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which aims to reach thousands of students in more than 60 sites across 10 states.
• Launched NASA Engages, a platform to connect and serve the public by providing agency experts to share their experiences working on agency missions and programs.
• With more than 55,000 applications for NASA internships across the spring, summer and fall sessions, a new recruitment record, NASA helped students and early-career professionals make real contributions to space and science missions.
• Expanded the agency’s program to help informal educational institutions like museums, science centers, libraries, and other community organizations bring STEM content to communities, resulting in 42 active awards across 26 states and Puerto Rico.
• Hosted the 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge, one of NASA’s longest-standing student challenges, with participation from more than 600 students and 72 teams from around the world.

Reaching New, Future Explorers

NASA’s future-forward outreach to current and new audiences is key to providing accessibility to the agency’s scientific discoveries and to growing the future STEM workforce. NASA’s creative and inclusive 2024 strategies to reach the public include:

• NASA’s on-demand streaming service, NASA+, achieved four times the viewership of the agency’s traditional cable channel, marking a major milestone in its ongoing web modernization efforts. As part of the digital transformation, NASA said goodbye to NASA Television, its over-the-air broadcast, streamlining how it delivers the latest space, science, and technology news. NASA+ marked its first year of operation Sept. 23, and visitors have played 1,036,389 hours of programming.
• April 8, the day of the total solar eclipse, brought in 32 million views to NASA’s websites, more than 15 times additional views than the average this year. On average, NASA websites receive 33.4 million views every month.
• NASA social media accounts saw an increase of 4% in followers since 2023, from 391.2 million in 2023 to 406.8 million this year. On average, NASA accounts see close to 25 million engagements each month.
  • Notable live social media events in 2024 included the first-ever Reddit Ask Me Anything with the platform’s 23-million member “Explain Like I’m Five” community; the first X Spaces conversation from space; and NASA’s first Instagram Live of a launch, which contributed 410,000 of the 6.6 million views of the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test launch.
  • NASA Twitch launched custom emotes, issued channel points for the first time, and collaborated with an external Twitch creator, a how-to conversation with astrophotographers and NASA experts about photographing the Moon.
• NASA aired live broadcasts for 14 mission launches in 2024. The agency’s official broadcast of the 2024 total solar eclipse and its telescope feed are the top two most-watched livestreams this year on NASA’s YouTube.
  • The agency’s YouTube livestreams in 2024 surpassed 84.7 million total views.  
  • NASA broadcasts often were enhanced by the presence of well-known athletes, artists, and cultural figures. The solar eclipse broadcast alone featured musician Lance Bass, actor Scarlett Johannson, NFL quarterback Josh Dobbs, and Snoopy.
• The agency’s podcasts surpassed 9.7 million all-time plays on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• The NASA app was installed more than 2.1 million times in 2024.  
• The number of subscribers to NASA’s flagship and Spanish newsletters total more than 5 million.
• NASA celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Hidden Figures Way street renaming. The program honored the legacy of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine M. Darden, and others who were featured in Margot Shetterly’s book – and the subsequent movie – Hidden Figures, and their commitment to science, justice, and humanity.
• The agency signed Space Act agreements with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to increase engagement and equity for underrepresented students pursuing STEM fields and reduce barriers to agency activities and opportunities.
• As part of its plans to reach new audiences, NASA continued to focus on developing Spanish-language content. This year, the agency:
  • Launched its second season of the Spanish-language podcast Universo curioso de la NASA.
  • More than doubled the number of yearly posts to its science-focused website in Spanish, Ciencia de la NASA, and grew the website’s traffic by five-fold.
  • Produced live broadcasts for the 2024 total solar eclipse and for the launch of the Europa Clipper mission, which reached a combined audience of more than 5 million viewers around the world.
  • Published a video about how NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) cooperate to train astronauts.
  • Released an astrobiology graphic novel and the agency’s economic impact yearly report in Spanish, among other outreach materials.
• Relaunched the NASA Art Program with two space-themed murals in New York’s Hudson Square neighborhood in Manhattan. The vision of the reimagined NASA Art Program is to inspire and engage the Artemis Generation with community murals and art projects for the benefit of humanity.
• A DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory Workshop documented and celebrated the important scientific work conducted aboard NASA’s legendary DC-8 and captured lessons of the past for current and future operators. 
• The Deep Space Network beamed a Missy Elliott song to space on July 12. 
• NASA partnered with Crayola Education to develop content for Crayola’s annual Creativity Week held in January, which reached more than 6 million kids from 100 countries. 
• On the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, NASA Johnson named one of its central buildings the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo.” Actress Octavia Spencer narrated a video for the event. 
• NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley hosted social media creators in space, science, and engineering for a behind-the-scenes tour of the center’s world-class facilities.
• Engaging largely untapped NASA audiences of more than 155,000 in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota, NASA’s Glenn launched NASA in the Midwest, an integrated approach to bring awareness to the agency’s connections to the region to large-scale festivals and surrounding community institutions.
• Reaching 500,000 in-person attendees, NASA Stennis supported the agency’s return to the ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.
• NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia developed a dance engagement program in partnership with the Eastern Shore Ballet Theatre, introducing new audiences to the agency while blending arts and science.
• NASA participated in more than 3,700 events planned with an estimated reach of more than 17 million worldwide. This was accomplished through in-person, hybrid, and virtual outreach activities and events.
• The agency’s Virtual Guest Program engaged 277,370 virtual guests across 13 events, with an average of 145 countries, regions, and territories represented per event.

There also were many notable engagements highlighting the intersection of space and sports in 2024, including the Stanley Cup visiting NASA Kennedy for photographs as part of the agency’s growing partnership with the National Hockey League. NASA Glenn also collaborated with The Ohio State University Marching Band for its halftime show during the university’s football game on Sept. 21. A video greeting from astronauts aboard the International Space Station introduced the show, which featured aerospace-themed music and numerous formations including the final formation the NASA Meatball.

For more about NASA’s missions, research, and discoveries, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Meira Bernstein / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov