First-Ever X-Rays in Space Open New Frontier for Astronaut Health on Moon Missions
Featured image: NASA Glenn researchers Kelly Gilkey, Cy Peverill, Daniel Phan, Chase Haddix, and Ariel Tokarz test portable, handheld X-ray systems for future space missions at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna
For the first time, medical X-rays have been taken in space, a breakthrough that could transform how astronauts diagnose injuries on future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The milestone was achieved during the private Fram2 Crew Dragon mission, which launched March 31, 2025, and spent three and a half days in polar orbit. Using an off-the-shelf portable X-ray system, the four-person crew captured diagnostic-quality images of a hand, forearm, pelvis, abdomen, and chest, as well as electronics hardware. The findings were published July 14, 2026, in the journal Radiology.
“It’s been a dream for aerospace medicine to have more than one imaging modality for diagnosing illnesses and injuries in space,” said Dr. Sheyna Gifford, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of aerospace medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “X-rays are fast, easy and diagnostically valuable.”
The achievement solves a long-standing limitation of space medicine. For more than 40 years, ultrasound was the only reliable imaging tool available in orbit. But ultrasound requires a medium for sound waves to travel through, needs substantial operator training, and is limited to soft tissue imaging. X-rays fill the gap by detecting bone fractures, dental injuries, and hardware damage, all critical capabilities for longer missions where a return to Earth for treatment is not an option.
“We believed an off-the-shelf portable system would stand a very good chance of surviving pre-launch testing and be operational in space by crew members with minimal training,” Gifford said.
The crew members who operated the X-ray device had only four hours of training before the flight. Despite the limited preparation, the images they produced were deemed diagnostically useful, sufficient to identify injuries like broken bones. The device returned to Earth with only minor exterior scuffs, demonstrating the ruggedness needed for spaceflight.
Traditional X-ray machines are large, produce significant radiation, and generate blurred images if the subject moves. Since everything in orbit is in constant motion, many experts assumed diagnostic X-rays in space were too technically challenging.
“Because everything in space is constantly moving, the conceit has been that obtaining a diagnostic image in orbit was too technically challenging,” Gifford said.
The portable system used during Fram2 is small, solar-powered, and designed for use by non-medical personnel. It captures digital images instantly, eliminating the need for film development. The estimated radiation exposure for crew members was comparable to standard clinical imaging on Earth.
Dual-purpose technology
Beyond medical use, the X-ray system proved valuable for hardware inspection. The crew imaged electronics and other equipment aboard the spacecraft, demonstrating that the same tool used to diagnose an astronaut’s broken bone could also locate a tear in a spacesuit or diagnose a malfunctioning circuit board.
NASA has been independently testing portable X-ray systems at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The agency reviewed more than 200 commercial systems and selected three, MinXray, Remedi, and Fujifilm, for further evaluation. Researchers are testing these systems on anatomical phantoms, astronaut suits, and rover wheels to prepare for integration into future missions.
“Technological innovations like that of the mini-X-ray will help keep our astronauts healthy as we endeavor farther into space than ever before,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “Future missions to the Moon and Mars will be safer due to the research of our scientists at NASA Glenn.”
NASA plans to select a single device by the end of 2025, with testing aboard the International Space Station expected in 2026 or early 2027.
How it works
Portable X-ray machines are small, rugged, and operable by non-medical personnel. Unlike ultrasound, X-rays work in a vacuum, making them ideal for the space environment. The Fram2 system was an off-the-shelf commercial unit that required no modification for spaceflight, aside from securing it against microgravity.
The research team validated the concept before the orbital test during a parabolic flight in 2022 aboard the “Vomit Comet,” where they imaged a human hand in simulated microgravity.
Crew members who used the system in orbit suggested improvements, including better mounting and clamping mechanisms to secure the X-ray detector and generator in the cabin. The team plans to further miniaturize the system and improve its ruggedness based on this feedback.
Future applications
The implications extend well beyond low Earth orbit. On the Moon, where communication delays with Earth can span several seconds, the ability to diagnose fractures or internal injuries without real-time consultation with mission control could be lifesaving. The same technology could be strapped to lunar rovers for surface analysis or used to inspect satellite hardware in orbit.
“By acquiring the first human and equipment X-rays in space, our study demonstrates the feasibility of in-orbit radiography and expanded diagnostic capabilities for crew health and hardware evaluation,” Gifford said.
The technology also has significant Earth applications. Portable X-ray systems could bring diagnostic imaging to remote villages, disaster zones, and other areas where hospital access is limited.
“Disseminating autonomous miniature X-ray systems around the globe could also change the game in public health,” Gifford added. “The sky is not the limit when it comes to X-rays in space and here on Earth.”
What’s next
Gifford said more prospective studies are needed to establish guidelines for examination indications, image interpretation, and imaging baselines for astronauts. The team aims to further reduce system size and improve usability so that X-ray capabilities can be included as standard equipment on future crewed missions.
With NASA’s Artemis program returning astronauts to the Moon later this decade, and plans for crewed Mars missions in the 2030s, the ability to diagnose medical conditions autonomously in deep space is no longer a future need, it is an immediate requirement. The first X-rays in space mark a critical step toward meeting that requirement.
Sources: Radiology (RSNA), NASA Glenn Research Center, SpaceX/Fram2 mission data