NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston closed 2025 with major progress across human spaceflight, research, and exploration. From Artemis II mission preparations to science aboard the International Space Station, teams at Johnson helped prepare for future missions to the Moon and, ultimately, Mars.
Orion Stacked for Artemis II, Orion Mission Evaluation Room Unveiled
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.
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.
NASA Selects 2025 Astronaut Candidate Class
NASA’s new astronaut candidates greet the crowd for the first time at Johnson Space Center.
NASA/James Blair
NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates were introduced Sept. 22 following a competitive selection process of more than 8,000 applicants from across the United States. The class will complete nearly two years of training before becoming eligible for flight assignments supporting missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
When they graduate, they will join NASA’s active astronaut corps, advancing research aboard the space station and supporting Artemis missions that will carry human exploration farther than ever before.
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 set of connected modules has grown into a cornerstone of international partnership, scientific discovery, and technology development in low Earth orbit.
For a quarter of century, the orbiting laboratory has supported research that advances human health, drives innovation, and prepares NASA for future 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 orbital outpost also is facilitating the growth of a commercial market in low Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation.
After 25 years of habitation, the space 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 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.