A members of the 2017 class of astronaut candidates signs her name to a wooden sign inside the Beach House during a familiarization tour at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The candidates toured center facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Control Center, Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay, Launch Pad 39B and the Space Station Processing Facility. They also toured Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Facility, United Launch Alliance's Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and SpaceX's Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy. The candidates will spend about two years getting to know the space station systems and learning how to spacewalk, speak Russian, control the International Space Station's robotic arm and fly T-38s, before they're eligible to be assigned to a mission.

Members of the 2017 class of astronaut candidates pause for a group photo on the beach after a familiarization tour of the Beach House at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The candidates toured center facilities, including the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Control Center, Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay, Launch Pad 39B and the Space Station Processing Facility. They also toured Boeing's Commercial Crew and Cargo Facility, United Launch Alliance's Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and SpaceX's Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy. The candidates will spend about two years getting to know the space station systems and learning how to spacewalk, speak Russian, control the International Space Station's robotic arm and fly T-38s, before they're eligible to be assigned to a mission.

ISS013-E-51306 (14 July 2006) --- Continuing a tradition for visiting shuttle commanders, astronaut Steven W. Lindsey, STS-121 commander, places the mission insignia along with others in the Unity node of the International Space Station.

S127-E-008616 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Astronaut Dave Wolf, STS-127 mission specialist, has the pen in this frame.

STS112-E-5184 (11 October 2002) --- Continuing a tradition for visiting shuttle crew commanders, astronaut Jeffrey Ashby, STS-112 commander, posts the mission insignia onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

S127-E-008612 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Astronaut Tom Marshburn, STS-127 mission specialist, has the pen in this frame.

STS087-307-006 (19 November – 5 December 1997) --- One of the crew members' traditional in-flight crew portraits has them posed in other-than traditional attire on the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid-deck. On the front row, from the left, are astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, pilot; Takao Doi, an international mission specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA); and Winston E. Scott, mission specialist. In the back are astronauts Kevin R. Kregel, mission commander; and Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist, along with Ukrainian payload specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk.

STS106-373-019 (8-20 September 2000) --- Five astronauts and two cosmonauts pose for the STS-106 version of the traditional inflight crew portrait. Though the tradition is long standing, this portrait represents a relatively new element as it was taken onboard the International Space Station, docked for a few days with the Space Shuttle Atlantis. In front, from the left, are cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, mission specialist; Terrence W. Wilcutt, mission commander; and Scott D. Altman, pilot. In back are, from left, astronauts Daniel C. Burbank, Edward T. Lu and Richard A. Mastracchio, along with cosmonaut Boris V. Morukov. Morukov and Malenchenko represent the Russian Aviaition and Space Agency.

NASA astronaut and Astronaut Office Representative Kjell Lindgren is seen during a traditional tree planting ceremony at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Saturday, June 2, 2018 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Lindgren was in Karaganda to help support the Expedition 55 crew Soyuz landing from the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S127-E-008642 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. European Space Agency astronaut Frank DeWinne, Expedition 20 flight engineer, has the pen in this frame.

S127-E-008623 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Astronaut Mike Barratt, Expedition 20 flight engineer, has the pen in this frame. Photo credit: NASA

Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Michael Foale, left, and European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain participate in the traditional raising of the flags at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2003, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S127-E-008624 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency Astronaut Koichi Wakata, STS-127 mission specialist, has the pen in this frame.

S127-E-008638 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Robert Thirsk, Expedition 20 flight engineer, has the pen in this frame.

NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, left, and Joe Acaba, center, listen as Sergeant Craig Hudson explains the tradition of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Friday, June 15, 2018 at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Expedition 65 prime crew member NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei lays flowers at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at Red Square in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

STS113-E-05384 (2 December 2002) --- Astronaut James D. Wetherbee, STS-113 mission commander, adds the STS-113 patch to the growing collection of those representing Shuttle crews who have worked on the International Space Station (ISS). A location in the Unity node serves as one of the traditional posting sites for the patches.

S126-E-011502 (26 Nov. 2008) --- Continuing a longstanding tradition, astronaut Eric Boe, STS-126 pilot, adds his crew patch in the Unity node to the growing collection of those representing shuttle crews who have worked on the International Space Station.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata is seen during a traditional tree planting ceremony at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Saturday, June 2, 2018 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Wakata was in Karaganda to help support the Expedition 55 crew Soyuz landing from the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

iss067e149651 (June 24, 2022) --- NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines work on XROOTS, which used the station’s Veggie facility to test liquid- and air-based techniques to grow plants rather than traditional growth media. These techniques could enable production of crops on a larger scale for future space exploration.

S69-40941 (July 1969) --- This picture is of the gold replica of an olive branch, the traditional symbol of peace, which was left on the moon's surface by Apollo 11 crewmembers. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, was in charge of placing the small replica (less than half a foot in length) on the moon. The gesture represents a fresh wish for peace for all mankind.

iss064e040580 (March 9, 2021) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi poses with plants growing inside containers for the Asian Herbs study. The space botany investigation is exploring ways to cultivate fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and food flavoring.

NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, left, and Joe Acaba, center, listen as Sergeant Craig Hudson explains the tradition of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Friday, June 15, 2018 at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, left, and Joe Acaba, center, listen as Sergeant Craig Hudson explains the tradition of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Friday, June 15, 2018 at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

S127-E-008614 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette, STS-127 mission specialist, has the pen in this frame.

S127-E-008609 (25 July 2009) --- Flight day 11 activities for the joint shuttle-station crews included the traditional autographing of the station. Astronauts Tom Marshburn (left), STS-127 mission specialist, and Tim Kopra, Expedition 20 flight engineer, are in this frame.

Expedition 30 ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andre Kuipers, center, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel on the day before his Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 65 backup crew member NASA astronaut Anne McClain lays flowers at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at Red Square in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

iss064e040578 (March 9, 2021) --- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Soichi Noguchi astronaut poses with plants growing inside containers for the Asian Herbs study. The space botany investigation is exploring ways to cultivate fast-growing plants used for traditional medicine and food flavoring.

ISS027-E-035707 (21 May 2011) --- Inside the Kibo lab onboard the International Space Station, the six astronauts and cosmonauts making up the Expedition 27 crew pose for a traditional group shot. From left to right (front row) are NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli; and (back row) NASA astronaut Ron Garan, along with cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko.

ISS027-E-035709 (21 May 2011) --- Inside the Kibo lab onboard the International Space Station, the six astronauts and cosmonauts making up the Expedition 27 crew pose for a traditional group shot. From left to right (front row) are NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli; and (back row) NASA astronaut Ron Garan, along with cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko.

ISS028-E-049074 (14 Sept. 2011) --- Expedition 28 crew members pose for a traditional in-flight crew portrait in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. Pictured from the left (front row) are Russian cosmonaut Andrey Borisenko, commander; NASA astronaut Mike Fossum and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov, both flight engineers. From the left (back row) are Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA astronaut Ron Garan and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, all flight engineers.

STS103-397-035 (19 - 27 December 1999) --- The seven astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery for NASA's third servicing visit to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait..In front are, from left, astronauts Claude Nicollier, Scott J. Kelly and John M. Grunsfeld. Behind them are.astronauts Steven L. Smith, C. Michael Foale, Curtis L. Brown, Jr., and Jean-Francois Clervoy. Nicollier and Clervoy are astronauts from the European Space Agency (ESA).

STS048-21-04 (15 Sept 1991) --- The five astronauts pose on the Space Shuttle Discovery's middeck for the traditional in-flight crew portrait. Astronaut John O. Creighton, mission commander, is at center. Others are (front row, left to right) Kenneth S. Reightler, pilot; and James F. Buchli, mission specialist; and (rear row, left to right) astronauts Mark N. Brown and Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, both mission specialists. The image was photographed with a pre-set 35mm camera.

STS062-16-004 (4-18 March 1994) --- The five veteran astronaut crewmembers for NASA's STS-62 mission pose for the traditional inflight portrait on Columbia's aft flight deck. In front are astronauts John H. Casper (left), mission commander; and Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist. In the rear are astronauts (left to right) Andrew M. Allen, pilot; Marsha S. Ivins and Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, mission specialists.

STS104-337-004 (12-24 July 2001) --- The STS-104 astronauts took a moment from a busy agenda to pose for their traditional in-flight crew portrait. In front are astronauts Steven W. Lindsey (left) and Charles O. Hobaugh, commander and pilot, respectively. From left in back are astronauts Michael L. Gernhardt, Janet L. Kavandi and James F. Reilly, all mission specialists.

NASA astronaut and Director of Operations, Star City, Russia, Joe Acaba takes a photograph of NASA astronaut and Astronaut Office Representative Shannon Walker after they each planted a tree during a traditional ceremony at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Acaba and Walker are in Karaganda to help support the Expedition 56 crew Soyuz landing from the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS062-17-025 (4-18 March 1994) --- The five veteran astronaut crewmembers for NASA's STS-62 mission pose for the traditional inflight portrait on Columbia's aft flight deck. In front are astronauts John H. Casper (left), mission commander; and Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist. In the rear are astronauts (left to right) Andrew M. Allen, pilot; Marsha S. Ivins and Charles D. (Sam) Gemar, mission specialists.

Family members of fallen astronauts Kathie Scobee Fulgham, Lowell Grissom, Sheryl Chaffee, and Karen Bassett Stevenson place a wreath at the Space Mirror Memorial at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, during the agency’s Day of Remembrance. The annual tradition pays tribute to fallen astronauts and astronaut candidates who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger STS-51L, and Columbia STS-107.

STS093-322-017 (23-27 July 1999) --- The five STS-93 astronauts pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait on Columbia's middeck. In front are astronauts Eileen M. Collins, mission commander, and Michel Tognini, mission specialist, representing France's Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Behind them are (from the left) astronauts Steven A. Hawley, mission specialist; Jeffrey S. Ashby, pilot; and Catherine G. (Cady) Coleman, mission specialist.

STS085-S-002 (May 1997) --- Five NASA astronauts and a Canadian payload specialist pause from their training schedule to pose for the traditional crew portrait for their mission. In front are astronauts Curtis L. Brown, Jr. (right), mission commander, and Kent V. Rominger, pilot. On the back row, from the left, are astronauts Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., Stephen K. Robinson and N. Jan Davis, all mission specialists, along with the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) payload specialist Bjarni Tryggvason.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, Texas -- (JSC-STS107-5-002) -- The seven STS-107 crew members take a break from their training regimen to pose for the traditional crew portrait. Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (left), mission commander, and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are (from left) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency.

Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum is seen in a traditional Kazakhstan hat gifted to him during a welcome ceremony at the Kustanay Airport in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. NASA Astronaut Fossum, Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa returned from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 28 and 29 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 30 NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Don Pettit performs the traditional door signing Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Pettit was launched onboard the Soyuz rocket the same evening with Expedition 30 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andre Kuiperson a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

ISS023-E-020621 (7 April 2010) --- Astronaut Alan Poindexter, STS-131 mission commander who has led the Discovery crew on its mission to the International Space Station, displays a pleasant countenance as the hatches come open and two crews begin their traditional handshakes aboard the orbital outpost. Behind Poindexter is Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, mission specialist.

STS031-12-031 (24-29 April 1990) --- On Discovery's middeck, the STS-31 crew poses for a traditional in-flight portrait. Astronaut Loren J. Shriver, mission commander, is at lower left. Astronaut Charles F. Bolden, pilot, floats above. Others, left to right, are Kathryn D. Sullivan, Bruce McCandless II and Steven A. Hawley, all mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and JAXA Astronaut Office Representative Takuya Onishi is seen during a traditional tree planting ceremony at the Cosmonaut Hotel, Saturday, June 2, 2018 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Onishi was in Karaganda to help support the Expedition 55 crew Soyuz landing from the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS030-21-008 (4-8 May 1989) --- A traditional in-space crew portrait for STS-30 aboard the Atlantis. Astronaut Mary L. Cleave is in front. Others pictured, left to right, are astronauts Norman E. Thagard, Ronald J. Grabe, David M. Walker and Mark C. Lee. An automatic, pre-set 35mm camera using color negative film recorded the scene.

Expedition 29 Flight Engineer Sergei Volkov is seen in a gift of traditional Kazakhstan dress during a welcome ceremony at the Kustanay Airport in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. NASA Astronaut Mike Fossum, Russian Cosmonaut Volkov and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronaut Satoshi Furukawa returned from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 28 and 29 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS053-13-021 (2-9 Dec 1992) --- The five astronauts flying aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery for the mission pose for the traditional in-flight crew portrait. Left to right are astronauts Guion S. Bluford, mission specialist; Michael R. U. (Rich) Clifford, mission specialist; David M. Walker, mission commander; James S. Voss, mission specialist; and Robert D. Cabana, pilot.

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet visit Red Square to lay roses at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS088-370-006 (4-15 Dec. 1998) --- The STS-88 crew members pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait in the U.S.-built Unity connecting module. From left to right, bottom, are astronauts Frederick W. (Rick) Sturckow, pilot; Robert D. Cabana, mission commander; and Nancy J. Currie, mission specialist. Top row, cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev, representing the Russian Space Agency, along with astronauts James H. Newman and Jerry L. Ross, all mission specialists.

Expedition 30 NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Don Pettit performs the traditional door signing Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Pettit was launched onboard the Soyuz rocket the same evening with Expedition 30 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andre Kuiperson a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Expedition 29 Flight Engineer, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Astronaut, Satoshi Furukawa is seen in a traditional Kazakhstan hat gifted to him during a welcome ceremony at the Kustanay Airport in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. NASA Astronaut Mike Fossum, Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Furukawa returned from more than five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 28 and 29 crews. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Burt Summerfield, associate director, management, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, speaks as part of the agency’s Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The annual tradition honors fallen astronauts and astronaut candidates who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.

STS034-S-021 (18 Oct 1989) --- The traditional light pre-launch breakfast greets the five astronaut crew-members for NASA's STS-34 mission in the Operations and Checkout Facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). From the left are Astronauts Donald E. Williams, mission commander; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Shannon W. Lucid and Ellen S. Baker, all mission specialists; and Michael J. McCulley, pilot. A pumpkin converted into a Jack-o-lantern adds a seasonal touch to the table.

Expedition 50 NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, left, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos, center, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet visit Red Square to lay roses at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The STS-67/ASTRO-2 crew members pose for their traditional inflight portrait on the aft flight deck of the Earth orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Left to right in the front are astronauts Tamara E. Jernigan, payload commander; Steven S. Oswald, mission commander; and William G. Gregory, pilot. Left to right on the back row are astronaut Wendy B. Lawrence, flight engineer; payload specialists Ronald A. Parise and Samuel T. Durrance; and John M. Grunsfeld, mission specialist.

STS057-94-017 (21 June - 1 July 1993) --- Six astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait on the aft flight deck. In the rear (left to right) are astronauts Ronald J. Grabe, mission commander; Nancy J. Sherlock, mission specialist; and G. David Low, payload commander; in front (left to right), Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff, mission specialist; Brian Duffy, pilot; and Janice E. Voss, mission specialist.

NASA astronaut and Astronaut Office Representative Shannon Walker plants a tree with the help of Russian Orthodox Priest, Father Alexander, during a traditional ceremony at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. Walker is in Karaganda to help support the Expedition 56 crew Soyuz landing from the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

STS041-26-007 (6-10 Oct 1990) --- A 35mm preset camera on Discovery's middeck captures the traditional in-space portrait of the STS-41 crewmembers. In front are (l.-r.) Astronauts Richard N. Richards, mission commander; and Robert D. Cabana, pilot. In the rear are (l.-r.) Astronauts Thomas D. Akers, Bruce E. Melnick and William M. Shepherd.

STS057-94-007 (21 June-1 July 1993) --- The six STS-57 crewmembers used a pre-set 70mm camera to record the traditional in-space crew portrait on Endeavour's aft flight deck. In front are astronauts G. David Low, payload commander; and Peter J. K. (Jeff) Wisoff, mission specialist. In the back are astronauts Ronald J. Grabe, mission commander; Brian Duffy, pilot; Janice E. Voss and Nancy J. Sherlock, mission specialists.

S125-E-012154 (20 May 2009) --- The crew members for the STS-125 mission pose for the traditional in-flight portrait on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis. Pictured on the front row are astronauts Scott Altman (center), commander; Gregory C. Johnson, pilot; and Megan McArthur, mission specialist. Pictured on the back row (left to right) are astronauts Michael Good, Mike Massimino, John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel, all mission specialists.

STS085-320-020 (7 - 19 August 1997) --- For their traditional in-flight crew portrait, the six crew members for this mission float on the mid-deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery. On top, left to right, are Bjarni Tryggvason, payload specialist of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA); along with astronauts Stephen K. Robinson, mission specialist; and Curtis L. Brown, Jr., mission commander. On bottom, from the left, are astronauts Robert L. Curbeam, Jr., mission specialist; N. Jan Davis, payload commander; and Kent V. Rominger, pilot.

STS087-307-002 (19 November - 5 December 1997) --- On the Space Shuttle Columbia's middeck, the crewmembers for the mission pose for the traditional in-flight portrait. In front, left to right, are astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, pilot; Takao Doi, mission specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA); and Winston E. Scott, mission specialist. In back are, from the left, astronauts Kevin R. Kregel, commander; and Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; along with payload specialist Leonid Kadenyuk.

ISS008-E-21947 (21 April 2004) --- Cosmonaut Gennady I. Padalka (left), Expedition 9 commander, partakes of a traditional greeting of salt and bread presented by cosmonaut Alexander Y. Kaleri (right), Expedition 8 flight engineer, both representing Russia’s Federal Space Agency. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andre Kuipers of the Netherlands and astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, Expedition 9 NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer, are visible in the background.

STS080-701-004 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- The STS-80 crew used a pre-set 70mm camera onboard the space shuttle Columbia's middeck to record its traditional inflight crew portrait. Back row, left to right, astronauts Kenneth D. Cockrell, mission commander; Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist; and Kent V. Rominger, pilot. Front row, astronauts Thomas D. Jones (left) and Story Musgrave, both mission specialists.

S134-E-008426 (21 May 2011) --- Continuing a tradition for visiting shuttle commanders, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, STS-134 commander, attaches a decal of his mission patch at the end of a growing collection of mission insignias displayed in the Unity node onboard the International Space Station. Kelly is currently one of twelve astronauts and cosmonauts sharing work onboard the joint complex of space shuttle Endeavour and the space station. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut candidate Andrew Morgan looks over the beach while standing at the Beach House at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Bob Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center and a former space shuttle commander, points out landmarks of the space center to astronaut candidate Andrew Morgan during a visit to the Beach House at Kennedy. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut candidates, from left, Anne McClain, Christina Hammock and Jessica Meir stand on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at the Beach House at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA astronaut candidates, from left, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, Tyler "Nick" Hague and Andrew Morgan look out on Kennedy Space Center at the Beach House. The Beach House is a traditional gathering place for astronauts before they fly into space. The astronaut class of 2013 was selected by NASA after an extensive year-and-a-half search. The new group will help the agency push the boundaries of exploration and travel to new destinations in the solar system. To learn more about the astronaut class of 2013, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/2013astroclass.html Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

STS075-S-002 (December 1995) --- With their major payload as the backdrop, members of the crew pose for the traditional crew portrait. The crew will deploy and work with the Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R). Seated at center are astronauts Scott J. Horowitz (left), pilot; and Andrew M. Allen, commander. Astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (front right) is payload commander. In the rear are (left to right) European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Maurizio Cheli, mission specialist; payload specialist Umberto Guidoni of the Italian Space Agency (ASI); Jeffrey A. Hoffman and ESA astronaut Claude Nicollier, mission specialists.

S106-E-5254 (16 September 2000) --- A brief break during busy moving tasks and detail work afforded the STS-106 crew members an opportunity for another traditional inflight crew portrait, snapped by a pre-set electronic still camera (ESC) nearby. Astronaut Terrence W. Wilcutt, mission commander, is at bottom center. Counterclockwise from that point are cosmonaut Yuri I. Malenchenko, astronauts Daniel C. Burbank and Richard A. Mastracchio, cosmonaut Boris V. Morukov and astronaut Edward T. Lu, all mission specialists; along with astronaut Scott D. Altman, pilot. Malenchenko and Morukov represent the Russian Aviation and Space Agency.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 members play the traditional card game with NASA astronaut chief Joe Acaba, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the second launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. From left to right, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 a.m. EDT Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 members play the traditional card game with NASA astronaut chief Joe Acaba, inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the second launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. From left to right, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are scheduled to lift off aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 a.m. EDT Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy.

STS050-S-002 (24 Jan. 1992) --- The seven crew members assigned to NASA's mission pose for the traditional crew portrait. The crew was in Palmdale, California for the Space Shuttle Columbia's Extended-Duration Orbiter (EDO) modifications roll-out. Astronaut Richard N. Richards, mission commander, is center. Astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox, pilot, is second from left. Others, left to right, are astronauts Ellen S. Baker, mission specialist; Bonnie J. Dunbar, payload commander; and Carl J. Meade, mission specialist; Eugene H. Trinh and Lawrence J. DeLucas, payload specialists.

STS056-31-020 (8-17 April 1993) --- The five astronaut crew members assemble on the Space Shuttle Discovery's aft flight deck for the traditional inflight crew portrait. In front are astronauts Kenneth D. Cameron, mission commander; and C. Michael Foale, mission specialist. In back are (left to right) astronauts Ellen Ochoa, mission specialist; Stephen S. Oswald, pilot; and Kenneth D. Cockrell, mission specialist. The five went on to spend nine days in Earth-orbit in support of the Atlas-2 mission. A 35mm camera with a 20mm lens was used to expose this frame.

STS096-380-019 (27 May - 6 June 1999) --- The seven crew members for the STS-96 mission pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait in the hatch way of the U.S.-built Unity node for the International Space Station (ISS). From to left to right, bottom, are astronauts Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette and Ellen Ochoa. On top are cosmonaut Valery I. Tokarev, along with astronauts Tamara E. Jernigan and Kent V. Rominger. Astronaut Rick D. Husband is between Rominger and Ochoa. Payette represents the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Tokarev is with the Russian Space Agency (RSA).

STS077-314-011 (19-29 May 1996) --- The six astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour for NASA?s STS-77 mission pose for the traditional inflight portrait. Left to right, front, are astronauts Andrew S. W. Thomas, John H. Casper and Mario Runco, Jr. On the back row are astronauts Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Marc Garneau and Daniel W. Bursch. Casper is mission commander and Brown serves as pilot, with the rest of the crew functioning as mission specialists. Garneau represents the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

STS046-12-009 (31 July-8 Aug. 1992) --- The seven crew members for the STS-46 mission pose for the traditional in-flight portrait onboard the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Atlantis. In the rear are, left to right, astronauts Loren J. Shriver, commander; Andrew M. Allen, pilot; and Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, mission specialist. In front are, left to right, Swiss scientist Claude Nicollier, mission specialist representing the European Space Agency (ESA); astronaut Jeffrey A. Hoffman, payload commander; astronaut Marsha S. Ivins, mission specialist; and Franco Malerba, payload specialist representing the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

STS083-325-004 (4-8 April 1997) --- Five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait during a Microgravity Science Laboratory 1 (MSL-1) shift changeover in the Spacelab Module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. In front (from the left) are astronauts Janice E. Voss, James D. Halsell, Jr. and Donald A. Thomas. From left to right in the rear are Roger K. Crouch, along with astronauts Michael L. Gernhardt and Susan L. Still, and Gregory T. Linteris. Crouch and Linteris are payload specialists.

61C-14-008 (12-18 Jan. 1986) --- The seven crew members for STS-61C mission use the space shuttle Columbia's middeck for the traditional in-flight group portrait. Astronaut Robert L. Gibson (lower right corner), commander, is surrounded by fellow crew members, counter-clockwise from upper right: astronaut Charles F. Bolden, pilot; U.S. Representative Bill Nelson (D., Florida), payload specialist; Robert J. Cenker, RCA payload specialist; and astronauts Steven A. Hawley, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz and George D. Nelson, all mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Astronaut Frank Culbertson stands next to the cherry laurel tree he has dedicated and helped plant near KSC Headquarters Building. The tree commemorates his stay on and safe return from the International Space Station as a member of the Expedition 3 crew. Culbertson served as commander for the four-month stay, August to December 2001. The tree planting is a tradition for the Expedition crews.

Russian Orthodox Priest Father Sergei performs the traditional crew blessing on Expedition 65 Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and crewmates NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy at the Cosmonaut Hotel as the crew departed the hotel for launch on a Soyuz rocket, Friday, April 9, 2021, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Irina Spector

Expedition 28 JAXA (Japanase Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa performs the traditional door signing Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Furukawa was launched onboard the Soyuz rocket the following morning with Expedition 28 Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov and NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fossum on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

After suit-up and final fit checks, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts participate in a traditional game of cards inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center crew in Florida on Sunday, March 3, 2024. The crew members are preparing for launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop the Falcon 9 rocket 10:53 p.m. EST on March 3, 2024, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

Expedition 72 crew members: NASA astronaut Don Pettit, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner, right, receive the traditional blessing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing for suit-up and launch on a Soyuz rocket, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launch will send Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Expedition 65 Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, Friday, April 9, 2021, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will sent the trio on a mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Irina Spector

STS076-344-013 (24 March 1996)--- Continuing an in-space tradition, astronaut Kevin P. Chilton (right), mission commander, shakes hands with cosmonaut Yury I. Onufrienko, Mir-21 commander, in the tunnel connecting the Space Shuttle Atlantis and Russia's Mir Space Station. A short time earlier two crews successfully pulled off the third hard-docking of their respective spacecraft. The image was made with a 35mm camera.

Expedition 28 NASA Flight Engineer Mike Fossum performs the traditional door signing Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Fossum was launched onboard the Soyuz rocket the following morning with Expedition 28 Soyuz Commander Sergei Volkov and JAXA (Japanase Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: (NASA/Victor Zelentsov)

S90-52756 (December 1990) --- NASA's STS-39 crew members, wearing their partial pressure launch and entry suits, pose for traditional portrait. Left to right are astronauts Charles L. (Lacy) Veach, Donald R. McMonagle, Gregory J. Harbaugh, Michael L. Coats, L. Blaine Hammond Jr., Richard J. Hieb and Guion S. Bluford Jr. Coats is mission commander; Hammond, pilot, and the others are mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA

Expedition 64 NASA astronaut Kate Rubins performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch on a Soyuz rocket with fellow crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Ryzhikov, Kud-Sverchkov, and Rubins launched in their Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft at 1:45 a.m. EDT to begin a six-month mission onboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, center, and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, pose for a photo after a tree planting ceremony that is part of traditional pre-launch activities, Saturday, April 3, 2021, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The trio are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft on April 9. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Irina Spector)

Expedition 64 prime crew members, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, left, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos, center, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Roscosmos visit Red Square to lay flowers at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Irina Spector)

Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum, left, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, right, are seen in front of a statue of Yuri Gagarin at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia as part of a traditional welcome home ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011. The crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan on November 22nd after spending five months living and working aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

S126-E-013902 (27 Nov. 2008) --- One of Endeavour's crew members recorded this image of one of the trusses on the International Space Station as crewmembers of both the shuttle and orbital outpost prepared to go separate ways on the following day. The nine astronauts and one cosmonaut did find time to work in a Thanksgiving meal and some brief traditional ceremonies.

Expedition 65 prime crew members NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, left, and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, center, watch as Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos lays flowers at the site where Russian space icons are interred as part of traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at Red Square in Moscow. Photo Credit: (NASA/GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)

S89-E-5101 (24 Jan 1998) --- With checklist in hand on the Space Shuttle Endeavour's middeck, astronaut Michael P. Anderson, mission specialist, begins to help ready the Space Shuttle for its scheduled nine-day mission in Earth-orbit. As was the tradition with Atlantis on previous U.S/Russian joint space dockings, Endeavour carries supplies to be transferred over to the Mir Space Station complex once the two spacecraft dock later. The scene was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera at 5:46:28 GMT, January 24, 1998.

The traditional firing of three volleys each by seven service members is carried out to honor former astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn at his interment Thursday, April 6, 2017 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth on Feb. 20, 1962, in a five-hour flight aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft. In 1998, he broke another record by returning to space at the age of 77 on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)