NASA’s Johnson Space Center marked 25 years of continuous human presence in space on January 24, 2026, with a community day event at Space Center Houston. The celebration highlighted a quarter-century of groundbreaking science aboard the International Space Station, fostering international collaboration and paving the way for deep space exploration. Interactive exhibits and demonstrations revealed how research on the orbiting laboratory benefits life on Earth and directly informs NASA’s ambitious Artemis missions, including the upcoming journey around the Moon with Artemis II. These experiences underscored how the station “remains essential to humanity’s next giant leaps,” according to NASA officials. The event offered visitors a unique glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of space travel, from simulating spacewalks to understanding astronaut nutrition in microgravity.
Space Center Houston Celebrates 25 Years of ISS Human Presence
The event immersed visitors in the realities of orbital life, moving beyond simple displays to incorporate tactile learning experiences. One exhibit challenged participants to assemble a puzzle while wearing bulky gardening gloves, effectively simulating the dexterity limitations faced during spacewalks, and allowed them to examine a spacesuit glove used in training. Attendees also engaged with the physiological challenges of space travel at a nutrition-focused station, testing their knowledge of astronaut diets and learning about the role of peristalsis in digestion. “On Earth, gravity helps move food through the digestive system,” explained presenters, detailing how the process adapts in microgravity.
Interactive Exhibits Demonstrate Space Station Life & Challenges
Interactive exhibits at Space Center Houston on January 24, 2026, offered attendees a tactile understanding of the difficulties inherent in long-duration spaceflight, going beyond simple displays of technology. Further enriching the experience, guests could color photos or pen letters to the astronaut corps, with a designated “mailbox” for delivery, fostering a direct connection to those in orbit. Completing activities at three NASA stations—including identifying astronaut food and assembling the puzzle—earned visitors either a 2026 space station calendar or an activity book, incentivizing engagement with the 25-year legacy of continuous human presence in space. These demonstrations underscored how ongoing research continues to shape future exploration endeavors.
These hands-on experiences demonstrated how research aboard the space station continues to shape the future of exploration.
ISS Research Prepares NASA for Future Artemis Missions
NASA’s Johnson Space Center leveraged its January 24, 2026, community day in Houston to showcase how 25 years of International Space Station (ISS) research directly informs upcoming Artemis missions. Interactive exhibits detailed ongoing investigations designed to mitigate the challenges of long-duration spaceflight, crucial for journeys to the Moon and Mars. One demonstration used gardening gloves to illustrate the restricted dexterity astronauts experience during spacewalks, allowing guests to handle a spacesuit glove used in training. Attendees participated in a nutrition challenge identifying permissible space food, furthering understanding of astronaut health needs.
Johnson employees shared information about current ISS missions and how that research is “helping prepare for future Artemis missions,” including the Artemis II lunar journey. These experiences underscored the station’s role in humanity’s next “giant leaps.”
