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Astronauts

Left: Experimental setup of some chickpeas growing in artificial lunar dirt. Right: A chickpea root covered in the simulated moon soil, which is sharp and glass-like. 

Hummus Made From Moon-Grown Chickpeas Might Be on the Menu for Future Lunar Residents

Researchers successfully grew and harvested chickpeas in simulated moon dirt—with a little help from worm poop and a beneficial fungus. However, they’re still testing whether the legumes are safe to eat

Astronauts struggle to adapt to weightlessness, even after months on the International Space Station, a study suggests.

Astronauts’ Memories of Earth’s Gravity May Influence How They Move and Hold Objects, Even After Months in Space

Examining the fine motor skills of space travelers can help improve safety for future missions, scientists say

On Thursday, Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen gave their first press conference since splashing down. Here, Hansen holds Rise, the crew’s mascot and zero-gravity indicator, which visually demonstrated when they had entered space.

After Rounding the Moon, Artemis 2 Astronauts Reflect on the Magnitude of the Experience: ‘We as Countries and as Humans Did This’

In their first press conference since returning from space, the four-person crew described feeling small but united with people on Earth and said the mission was an achievement by all of humanity

A red aurora over Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan, similar to those documented throughout history, which helped the researchers reconstruct past solar activity

Medieval Writings and Tree Rings Helped Researchers Track a Solar Storm From 800 Years Ago and Reconstruct Past Solar Cycles

Diary entries by the Japanese poet Fujiwara no Teika, along with other historical sources from across Asia and Europe, played pivotal roles in a new study

The Artemis 2 crew reported an issue with the toilet shortly after takeoff.

Artemis Astronauts Overcome Toilet Trouble and Officially Head Toward the Moon

Houston, we have a potty problem

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke on January 15, when SpaceX Crew-11 splashed down, roughly one month ahead of schedule.

An Astronaut’s Sudden Inability to Speak Prompted the ISS’s First Medical Evacuation. Doctors Still Don’t Know What Caused the Issue

The individual who fell ill, NASA’s Mike Fincke, says the medical team is almost certain that the issue was related to being in space

Onlookers capture photos and videos as the Space Launch System rocket carrying the Artemis 2 crew’s Orion spacecraft Integrity lifts off at 6:35 p.m. Eastern time on April 1.

Spectators Flocked to the Artemis 2 Launch to Witness History Being Made. One Awed Viewer Called It ‘the Best Thing Ever’

Wednesday evening, a human mission to the moon lifted off for the first time in more than 50 years. These 13 photographs capture what it was like to experience the moment

Artemis 2 will take four astronauts around the moon.

NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission Launches, Sending Humans Toward the Moon for the First Time in More Than 50 Years

Four astronauts have begun a ten-day mission in which they’ll loop around the moon, laying the groundwork to put humans on the lunar surface as early as 2028

Astronauts Neil Armstrong (left) and David Scott (right) greet well-wishers at Naha Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, shortly after the Gemini 8 spacecraft spun out of control.

These Never-Before-Seen Photos Show Astronaut Neil Armstrong Relaxed and Smiling After He Almost Died in the Gemini 8 Emergency

Few members of the media were at the unexpected arrival site. Military police officer Ron McQueeney was one of the few photographers who documented the occasion

Mars' surface as captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in 2023. The agency's new Mars helicopters will be modeled on this device.

NASA Aims to Launch the World’s First Planet-Hopping Spacecraft Powered by Nuclear Fission

The agency wants the mission to head to Mars by the end of 2028

The mice spent about a month aboard the International Space Station.

These Space-Faring Mice Are Helping Scientists Figure Out How to Keep Astronauts’ Muscles Working Properly

A new study suggests a gravity threshold for maintaining muscle function

Luna 9's landing was a pivotal moment in history.

Scientists Say They May Have Found a Long-Lost Lunar Lander—the First to Successfully Touch Down on the Moon 60 Years Ago

Data from a NASA lunar orbiter has helped researchers deduce two potential locations for a defunct Soviet spacecraft called Luna 9

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide

Spaceflight Temporarily Changes the Position and Shape of Astronauts’ Brains, MRI Data Suggests

The biggest changes happen in brain regions involved with processing sensory information and coordinating movement, according to a new study

Humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since November 2000.

NASA to Bring ISS Crew Home Early Because of an Astronaut’s Health Issue, Marking the First Medical Evacuation of the Spacecraft

The unnamed crew member is in stable condition after an undisclosed incident on Wednesday, but the agency is bringing them back to Earth for medical testing

Michaela "Michi" Benthaus in the center with her five crewmates

This Aerospace Engineer Just Became the First Wheelchair User to Travel to Space

A brief commercial flight with space tourism company Blue Origin made Michaela “Michi” Benthaus’ childhood dream come true

Time passes by faster on Mars than on Earth.

How to Keep Time on Mars: Clocks on the Red Planet Would Tick a Bit Differently Than Those on Earth

On average, Martian time ticks roughly 477 millionths of a second faster than terrestrial clocks per Earth day. But the Red Planet’s elongated orbit causes the time difference to vary as Mars travels around the sun

Astronauts Tom Stafford (left) and Wally Schirra (right) demonstrating with two model space crafts during an interview in the 1960s

Sixty Years Ago, When Instruments Were Played in Space for the First Time, It Was ‘Jingle Bells’ All the Way

Astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra delighted mission control with their rendition of the Christmas classic

Sally Ride sitting in the cockpit of a NASA Northrop T-38 Talon training jet at Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, 1984

How Far American Women Astronauts Have Soared Since Sally Ride Took Her Historic Spaceflight

In 1978, Ride and five other women became the first group of female astronauts in the U.S. A new book by a longtime curator of spaceflight artifacts explores the nearly five-decade history of women in the space program

A coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun in 2013.

How Prepared Are We for a Rare and Powerful Solar Event?

A coronal mass ejection could knock out power and disrupt communication on Earth

The entrance to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

See Electric Aircraft, Rockets and Everyone’s Favorite ‘Star Wars’ Droid at the National Air and Space Museum’s Newly Reopened Galleries

Across five exhibition halls, the museum showcases the past, present and future of aviation and space travel

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