Out of This World Discoveries: Space Station Research in 2025

Christine E. Giraldo

International Space Station Research Communications Team

Contents

• The International Space Station photographed in 2000 by the Expedition 1 crew. NASA

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

  A breakthrough cancer treatment

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

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

  Medical implants printed in orbit

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

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

  Learn more about InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter.

  A new understanding of our Sun

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

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

  Learn more about CODEX.

  Hunting for microscopic space travelers

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

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

  Learn more about ISS External Microorganisms.

  A fully docked space station

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

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

  Space station research meets the Moon’s surface

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

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

  Learn more.  

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

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

  Share

  Details

  Last Updated Jan 16, 2026

  Related Terms

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

  Discover More Topics From NASA

  Latest News from Space Station Research

  Humans In Space

  Space Station Research Results

  International Space Station