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2023 Annual Highlights of Results from the International Space Station
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By NASA
4 Min Read Vision Changes on Space Station
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, assisted by JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, performs an eye ultrasound on the International Space Station. Credits: NASA Science in Space July 2025
When astronauts began spending six months and more aboard the International Space Station, they started to notice changes in their vision. For example, many found that, as their mission progressed, they needed stronger reading glasses. Researchers studying this phenomenon identified swelling in the optic disc, which is where the optic nerve enters the retina, and flattening of the eye shape. These symptoms became known as Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS).
NASA astronaut Suni Williams wears a cuff on her left leg as she conducts an eye exam for the Thigh Cuff investigation.NASA Microgravity causes a person’s blood and cerebrospinal fluid to shift toward the head and studies have suggested that these fluid shifts may be an underlying cause of SANS. A current investigation, Thigh Cuff, examines whether tight leg cuffs change the way fluid moves around inside the body, especially around the eyes and in the heart and blood vessels. If so, the cuffs could serve as a countermeasure against the problems associated with fluid shifts, including SANS. A simple and easy-to-use tool to counter the headward shift of body fluids could help protect astronauts on future missions to the Moon and Mars. The cuffs also could treat conditions on Earth that cause fluid to build up in the head or upper body, such as long-term bed rest and certain diseases.
Following fluid shifts
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough sets up optical coherence tomography hardware.NASA The Fluid Shifts investigation, conducted from 2015 through 2020, was the first to reveal changes in how blood drains from the brain in microgravity. Vision Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) began testing the role those fluid shifts and resulting increased brain fluid pressure might play in the development of SANS. This research used a variety of measures including clinical eye exams with and without dilatation, imaging of the retina and associated blood vessels and nerves, noninvasive imaging to measure the thickness of retinal structures, and magnetic resonance imaging of the eye and optic nerve. In addition, approximately 300 astronauts completed questionnaires to document vision changes during their missions.
In one paper published from the research, scientists described how these imaging techniques have improved the understanding of SANS. The authors summarized emerging research on developing a head-mounted virtual reality display that can conduct multimodal, noninvasive assessment to help diagnose SANS.
Other researchers determined that measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter shows promise as a way to identify and quantify eye and vision changes during spaceflight. The paper also makes recommendations for standardizing imaging tools, measurement techniques, and other aspects of study design.
Another paper reported on an individual astronaut who had more severe than usual changes after a six-month spaceflight and certain factors that may have contributed. Researchers also observed improvement in the individual’s symptoms that may have been due to B vitamin supplementation and lower cabin carbon dioxide levels following departure of some crew members. While a single case does not allow researchers to determine cause and effect, the magnitude of the improvements suggest this individual may be more affected by environmental conditions such as carbon dioxide. This may have been the first attempt to mitigate SANS with inflight B vitamin supplementation.
Eyeball tissue stiffness
Optical coherence tomography image of the back of the eyeball (top) and thickness of the middle wall of the eye (bottom) from the SANSORI investigation.University of Montreal SANSORI, a CSA (Canadian Space Agency) investigation, used an imaging technique called Optical Coherence Tomography to examine whether reduced stiffness of eye tissue contributes to SANS. On Earth, changes in stiffness of the tissue around the eyeball have been associated with aging and conditions such as glaucoma and myopia. Researchers found that long-duration spaceflight affected the mechanical properties of eye tissues, which could contribute to the development of SANS. This finding could improve understanding of eye changes during spaceflight and in aging patients on Earth.
Genetic changes, artificial gravity
The MHU-8 investigation from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), which examined changes in DNA and gene expression in mice after spaceflight, found changes in the optic nerve and retinal tissue. Researchers also found that artificial gravity may reduce these changes and could serve as a countermeasure on future missions.
These and other studies ultimately could help researchers prevent, diagnose, and treat vision impairment in crew members and people on Earth.
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NASA/Jonny Kim In this June 13, 2025, photo, NASA astronaut Anne McClain shows off a hamburger-shaped cake to celebrate 200 cumulative days in space for JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi since his first spaceflight as an Expedition 48-49 Flight Engineer in 2016.
Onishi and McClain launched to the International Space Station along with NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov on March 14, 2025, as part of the Crew-10 mission. Aboard the orbital laboratory, the Crew-10 members conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. McClain and Ayers also performed a spacewalk on May 1, 2025 – McClain’s third and Ayers’ first.
Check out the International Space Station blog to follow the crew’s research and other activities.
Image credit: NASA/Jonny Kim
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3 min read
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A team works together on their project during the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge event in in Arequipa, Peru. Teams have two days to respond to the challenges and submit their project for the chance to win one of 10 global awards. NASA invites innovators of all ages to register for the NASA Space Apps Challenge, held on Oct. 4-5. The 2025 theme is Learn, Launch, Lead, and participants will work alongside a vibrant community of scientists, technologists, and storytellers at more than 450 events worldwide. Participants can expect to learn skills to succeed in STEM fields, launch ideas that transform NASA’s open data into actionable tools, and lead their communities in driving technological innovation.
During the NASA Space Apps Challenge, participants in the U.S. and around the world gather at hundreds of in-person and virtual events to address challenges authored by subject matter experts across NASA divisions. These challenges range in complexity and topic, tasking participants with everything from creating machine learning models and leveraging artificial intelligence, to improving access to NASA research, to designing sustainable recycling systems for Mars, and to developing tools to evaluate local air quality here on Earth.
Dr. Yoseline Angel Lopez, a former space apps challenge winner and now an assistant research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, can attest that the opportunity to Learn, Launch, Lead goes far beyond the hackathon.
“The NASA Space Apps Challenge gave me and my team a meaningful opportunity to apply science to real-world problems and gain validation from NASA scientists and industry experts,” said Angel.
In 2021, her team’s winning web-app prototype was adopted by Colombia’s Ministry of Agriculture, connecting smallholder farmers with local buyers. The platform also supported agricultural land-use monitoring using satellite imagery.
After the hackathon, project submissions are judged by NASA and space agency experts. Winners are selected for one of 10 global awards.
“Participating in the hackathon is exciting on its own. But when your project can lead to greater opportunities and make a difference in your community, that’s a dream come true,” said Angel. She will return to the 2025 hackathon as a NASA subject matter expert and challenge author, giving a Golden Age of innovators the opportunity to make a difference in their communities through the use of data from NASA and 14 space agency partners.
This year’s partners include: Bahrain Space Agency; Brazilian Space Agency; CSA (Canadian Space Agency); ESA (European Space Agency); ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation); Italian Space Agency; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency); Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates; National Space Activities Commission of Argentina; Paraguayan Space Agency; South African National Space Agency; Spanish Space Agency; Turkish Space Agency; and the UK Space Agency.
NASA Space Apps is funded by NASA’s Earth Science Division through a contract with Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, and SecondMuse.
We invite you to register for the 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge and choose a virtual or in-person event near you at:
https://www.spaceappschallenge.org
Find videos about Space Apps at:
youtube.com/c/NASASpaceAppsChallenge
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