NASA Johnson’s 2025 Milestones

10 min read

Sumer Loggins

Johnson Space Center Office of Communications

Contents

• NASA’s Artemis II Orion spacecraft with its launch abort system is stacked atop the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 20, 2025. NASA/Kim Shiflett

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

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

  The new Orion Mission Evaluation Room inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA/Bill Stafford

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

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

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

  Gateway Lunar Space Station

  The primary structure of Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) undergoing assembly, integration, and testing at Lanteris Space Systems in Palo Alto, California, on September 29, 2025. Lanteris Space Systems

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

  A Space Station Anniversary

  NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. NASA/Jonny Kim

  On Nov. 2, 2025, NASA marked 25 years of continuous human presence aboard the space station. What began as a 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. 
  A truly global endeavor, the space station has been visited by more than 290 people from 26 countries and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The unique microgravity laboratory has hosted more than 4,000 experiments from over 5,000 researchers from 110 countries. The orbiting laboratory also is facilitating the growth of a commercial market in low Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation.

  After a quarter of century of human presence in orbit, the station remains a symbol of international cooperation and a proving ground for humanity’s next giant leaps.

  Record-Breaking Spacewalks

  NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams is pictured during a six-hour spacewalk for science and maintenance on the International Space Station. At upper right, is the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port. NASA

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

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

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

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

  Two Expeditions Take Flight

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

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

  A Year of Lunar Firsts

  Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander captured a bright image of the Moon’s South Pole (on the far left) through the cameras on its top deck, while it travels to the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. Firefly Aerospace

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

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

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

  First Asteroid-Detecting Space Telescope Completes Testing

  The instrument enclosure of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Surveyor is prepared for critical environmental tests inside the historic Chamber A at the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. NASA

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

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

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

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

  First Houston AutoBoative Show

  Johnson Space Center employees present the Artemis Exhibit at the 2025 Houston AutoBoative Show at NRG Center. NASA/Robert Markowitz 

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

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

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

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

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

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

  NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara (left) and Stan Love (right) pose during the first dual spacesuit run at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston on Sept. 24, 2025. The astronauts wore Axiom Space’s Artemis III lunar spacesuit, known as the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), during the final integrated underwater test, confirming the spacesuit and facility are ready to support Artemis training. NASA

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

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

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

  OSIRIS-REx Team Honored for Asteroid Sample Return

  NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team poses inside a cleanroom at Johnson Space Center after successfully freeing fasteners on the TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) head, allowing access to samples collected from asteroid Bennu. NASA/Robert Markowitz

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

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

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

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

  Axiom Mission 4 Marks International Firsts in Space Station Mission 

  The official crew portrait of the Axiom Mission-4 private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. From left are, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Commander Peggy Whitson from the U.S., and Mission Specialists Sławosz Uzanański-Wiśniewksi from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Axiom Space

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

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

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

  Johnson-Built Mars Hardware on Display at the Smithsonian 

  At left is NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, with a circle indicating the location of the calibration target for the rover’s SHERLOC instrument. At right is a close-up of the calibration target. Along the bottom row are five swatches of spacesuit materials that scientists are studying as they de-grade. NASA/Malin Space Science Systems Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) calibration target built at NASA’s Johnson Space Center is on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Futures in Space gallery in Washington, D.C. NASA/Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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