NASA’s Glenn Research Center is advancing onboard medical care for deep-space missions by evaluating compact X-ray units that could fly with crews to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The effort aims to bring rapid, non-invasive diagnostic imaging to spacecraft where communication delays and limited evacuation options demand greater medical autonomy. The test campaign reviews commercially available, handheld systems for suitability in confined habitats, tight mass and power budgets, and use by non-specialist operators. Full details are available in NASA’s update here.
Inside the evaluation
NASA reviewed more than 200 commercial systems and advanced three for deeper testing: MinXray, Remedi, and Fujifilm. The team is characterizing performance and operational fit for spaceflight to support care for fractures, dental issues, and other conditions, as well as non-clinical inspections of mission hardware.
- Selection criteria: size, mass, image quality, ease of use, power needs, cost, and safety (including radiation dose management).
- Shortlisted systems: MinXray, Remedi, Fujifilm.
- Use cases: clinical diagnostics for crew health and non-clinical imaging to localize faults in spacesuits and other equipment without disassembly.
Test campaign and partners
Glenn is coordinating with Johnson Space Center and Langley Research Center, along with radiography experts at University Hospitals and Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). Work includes controlled imaging with anatomical phantoms at Tri-C’s radiography and dental facilities, human factors assessments for astronauts with limited radiography training, and comparisons against hospital-grade systems focused on usability, image clarity, and diagnostic accuracy.
Beyond medical scenarios, researchers have imaged a shape memory alloy rover tire and a spacesuit to validate non-clinical applications. These activities inform procedures, shielding and workflow in small volumes, and data handling for in-mission decision support.
Early in-flight data and roadmap
NASA reports that an X-ray unit sourced by SpaceX flew in April during the Fram2 mission to low Earth orbit, where the crew captured the first human X-ray images in space. Data from that flight, plus ongoing lab and clinical studies, will guide downselect and operational concepts.
- Downselect: target near the end of 2025.
- On-orbit demonstration: evaluation on the International Space Station planned for 2026 or early 2027.
- Program support: funded by the Mars Campaign Office and the Human Research Program, reflecting priorities for long-duration human exploration.
Why it matters for exploration
Portable X-ray capability would allow astronauts to assess injuries quickly, confirm treatments, and monitor recovery without waiting for ground support. It could also help pinpoint defects within suits or hardware, reducing troubleshooting time and preserving critical spares. By shrinking imaging systems to handheld form factors and simplifying workflows, NASA aims to reduce training overhead, manage radiation exposure, and maintain imaging fidelity within the constraints of deep-space vehicles and habitats.
For industry stakeholders, the effort highlights a maturing market for ruggedized, low-mass medical imaging with high reliability, streamlined user interfaces, and interoperable data pipelines. Success would improve crew autonomy on Artemis surface sorties and Mars transit missions while lowering risk and enabling more continuous operations after medical or equipment events.
What to watch next
- Completion of usability and image quality comparisons with clinical partners.
- Environmental and radiation testing to validate performance envelopes relevant to spaceflight.
- Final device selection by late 2025.
- ISS on-orbit demonstration in 2026/2027 to exercise procedures, data handling, and maintenance in microgravity.
- Integration into exploration medical kits and ops concepts for Artemis and Mars campaigns.
As the test pipeline progresses, the results will shape requirements for future spacecraft medical systems and inform procurement strategies across government and commercial exploration programs. The goal is a flight-ready, portable X-ray capability that delivers actionable images safely, reliably, and on demand in the most remote operating environment.
