
Quantitative evaluation of light source by NBL diver during NBL Preliminary Lunar Lighting Evaluation. Divers at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) in Houston are setting the stage for future Moonwalk training by simulating lunar lighting conditions. At the Lunar South Pole, the Sun will remain no more than a few degrees above the horizon, resulting in extremely long and dark shadows. To prepare astronauts for these challenging lighting conditions, the team at the NBL has begun preliminary evaluations of lunar lighting solutions at the bottom of the 40-foot deep pool. This testing and evaluation involved turning off all the lights in the facility, installing black curtains on the pool walls to minimize reflections, and using a powerful underwater cinematic lamp, to get the conditions just right ahead of upcoming training for astronauts.

Quantitative evaluation of light source by NBL diver during NBL Preliminary Lunar Lighting Evaluation. Divers at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) in Houston are setting the stage for future Moonwalk training by simulating lunar lighting conditions. At the Lunar South Pole, the Sun will remain no more than a few degrees above the horizon, resulting in extremely long and dark shadows. To prepare astronauts for these challenging lighting conditions, the team at the NBL has begun preliminary evaluations of lunar lighting solutions at the bottom of the 40-foot deep pool. This testing and evaluation involved turning off all the lights in the facility, installing black curtains on the pool walls to minimize reflections, and using a powerful underwater cinematic lamp, to get the conditions just right ahead of upcoming training for astronauts.

S65-42044 (28 July 1965) --- Close-up view of the Rendezvous Evaluation Pod installed in the equipment section of the Gemini-5 spacecraft at Pad 19.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Orion Mission Evaluation Room (MER) team works during an Artemis II mission simulation on Aug. 19, 2025, from the new Orion MER inside the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Structural Heat Intercept, Insulation and Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIIVER is installed in the In-Space Propulsion Chamber at NASA Glenn, Plum Brook Station

jsc2025e057255 --- NASA’s Artemis II lunar science team is pictured in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Located in the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, the SER supports the mission’s main flight control room for lunar science and planetary observations. Built specifically for Artemis missions with these science priorities in mind, the SER is equipped to support rapid data interpretation, collaborative analysis, real-time decision making, and seamless coordination between the science and operations teams.

PHOTO DATE: 10-20-21 LOCATION: Flagstaff, Arizona - Field Location SUBJECT: Photographic support and coverage of night field evaluation. EVA Test #1 PHOTOGRAPHER: BILL STAFFORD

Photographic documentation of the CEV Seat Layout Evaluation taken in the Orion mockup located in bldg 9NW, Johnson Space Center (JSC). Test subjects in orange Launch and Entry Suit (LES) is visible in the seat.

With the Caribbean Sea and part of the Bahama Islands chain as a backdrop, two STS-51 crewmembers evaluate procedures and gear to be used on the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope (HST)-servicing mission. Sharing the lengthy extravehicular activity in and around Discovery's cargo bay were astronauts James H. Newman (left), and Carl E. Walz, mission specialists.

iss072e451672 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronauts Don Pettit (top) and Butch Wilmore (bottom) assist NASA astronaut Nick Hague (center) as he tries on and evaluates his spacesuit in a pressurized configuration aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

Boeing trainers conduct simulations inside the Boeing Exploration Habitat Demonstrator with astronauts to evaluate the internal layout and ergonomics, to support efficient work-life balance aboard a deep space ship.

iss072e451640 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore (left) assists NASA astronaut Nick Hague (right) as he tries on and evaluates his spacesuit in a pressurized configuration aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock. Hague is pictured holding a spacewalking camera in front of his spacesuit's helmet shield.

iss072e451696 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore (center) assists International Space Station Commander Suni Williams (left) and Flight Engineer Nick Hague (right), both NASA astronauts, as they prepare to evaluate their spacesuits in a pressurized configuration. Hague and Williams are scheduled to exit the orbital outpost on Jan. 16 for a spacewalk to service astrophysics gear including the NICER X-ray telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

iss072e451687 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore (center) assists International Space Station Commander Suni Williams (left) and Flight Engineer Nick Hague (right), both NASA astronauts, as they prepare to evaluate their spacesuits in a pressurized configuration. Hague and Williams are scheduled to exit the orbital outpost on Jan. 16 for a spacewalk to service astrophysics gear including the NICER X-ray telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston evaluate how crews inside a mockup of the Orion spacecraft interact with the rotational hand controller and cursor control device while inside their Modified Advanced Crew Escape spacesuits on March 24, 2016. The controllers are used to operate Orion’s displays and control system, which the crew will use to maneuver and interact with the spacecraft during missions to deep space destinations. The testing aims to provide data that teams need to make sure astronauts who ride to space in Orion can appropriately interact with the control system while in their suits.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston evaluate how crews inside a mockup of the Orion spacecraft interact with the rotational hand controller and cursor control device while inside their Modified Advanced Crew Escape spacesuits on March 24, 2016. The controllers are used to operate Orion’s displays and control system, which the crew will use to maneuver and interact with the spacecraft during missions to deep space destinations. The testing aims to provide data that teams need to make sure astronauts who ride to space in Orion can appropriately interact with the control system while in their suits.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston evaluate how crews inside a mockup of the Orion spacecraft interact with the rotational hand controller and cursor control device while inside their Modified Advanced Crew Escape spacesuits on March 24, 2016. The controllers are used to operate Orion’s displays and control system, which the crew will use to maneuver and interact with the spacecraft during missions to deep space destinations. The testing aims to provide data that teams need to make sure astronauts who ride to space in Orion can appropriately interact with the control system while in their suits.

Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston evaluate how crews inside a mockup of the Orion spacecraft interact with the rotational hand controller and cursor control device while inside their Modified Advanced Crew Escape spacesuits on March 24, 2016. The controllers are used to operate Orion’s displays and control system, which the crew will use to maneuver and interact with the spacecraft during missions to deep space destinations. The testing aims to provide data that teams need to make sure astronauts who ride to space in Orion can appropriately interact with the control system while in their suits.

iss072e451674 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams is pictured as she tries on and evaluates her spacesuit in a pressurized configuration aboard the International Space Station's Quest airlock.

iss072e451646 (Jan. 9, 2025) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore (center) assists International Space Station Commander Suni Williams (left) and Flight Engineer Nick Hague (right), both NASA astronauts, as they prepare to evaluate their spacesuits in a pressurized configuration. Hague and Williams are scheduled to exit the orbital outpost on Jan. 16 for a spacewalk to service astrophysics gear including the NICER X-ray telescope and the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

jsc2025e056603 --- The Artemis II Lunar Science Team runs a simulation of lunar observation operations in the new Science Evaluation Room (SER) that serves as a backroom to Mission Control.

Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIVER

Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIVER

Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIVER

Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIVER

Structural Heat Intercept-Insulation-Vibration Evaluation Rig, SHIVER

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.SHIIVER Tank Arrives at NASA’s Marshall Center for Spray-On Foam Insulation

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

SHIIVER Tank Arrives at NASA’s Marshall Center for Spray-On Foam InsulationSHIIVER (Structural Heat Intercept Insulation Vibration Evaluation Rig) is a cryogenic test tank developed to evaluate heat intercept concepts. It arrived at Marshall Space Flight Center on August 10, 2017. The tank will receive heat sensors and spray-on foam insulation before making its way to Plum Brook station for further insulation and testing.

S65-28653 (August 1965) --- Rendezvous Evaluation Pod (REP) in orbit is approached by Gemini spacecraft as seen in this artist's concept using an actual photograph taken on the Gemini-4 mission. The REP is superimposed over a Gemini-4 Earth-sky picture of cloud formations over an ocean. The REP will be used by the crew of the Gemini-5 spacecraft to practice rendezvous techniques.

STS051-98-010 (16 Sept 1993) --- Astronaut James H. Newman, mission specialist, conducts an in-space evaluation of the Portable Foot Restraint (PFR) which will be used operationally on the first Hubble Space Telescope (HST) STS-61 servicing mission and future Shuttle missions. Astronauts Newman and Carl E. Walz spent part of their lengthy extravehicular activity (EVA) evaluating gear to be used on the STS-61 HST servicing mission. The frame was exposed with a 70mm handheld Hasselblad camera from the Space Shuttle Discovery's flight deck.

Science Evaluation Room Lead Brett Denevi, Artemis III Geology Team principal investigator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, looks over the Science Evaluation Room (SER) during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/James Blair

Astronaut James H. Newman, mission specialist, uses a 35mm camera to take a picture of fellow astronaut Carl E. Walz (out of frame) in Discovery's cargo bay. The two were engaged in an extravehicular activity (EVA) to test equipment to be used on future EVA's. Newman is tethered to the starboard side, with the orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod just behind him.

STS051-98-021 (16 Sept. 1993) --- In the Space Shuttle Discovery's aft cargo bay, astronaut Carl E. Walz gets his turn on the Portable Foot Restraint (PFR). Astronauts Walz, waving to his crew mates inside Discovery's cabin, and James H. Newman each put in some time evaluating the PFR, one of the pieces of gear to be used on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) STS-61 servicing mission (scheduled later this year) and other Shuttle missions.

STS051-06-023 (16 Sept 1993) --- Astronauts James H. Newman (in bay) and Carl E. Walz, mission specialists, practice space walking techniques and evaluate tools to be used on the first Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission scheduled for later this year. Walz rehearses using the Power Ratchet Tool (PRT), one of several special pieces of gear to be put to duty during the scheduled five periods of extravehicular activity (EVA) on the STS-61 mission.

STS051-06-037 (16 Sept 1993) --- Astronauts Carl E. Walz (foreground) and James H. Newman evaluate some important gear. Walz reaches for the Power Ratchet Tool (PRT) while Newman checks out mobility on the Portable Foot Restraint (PFR) near the Space Shuttle Discovery's starboard Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod. The tools and equipment will be instrumental on some of the five periods of extravehicular activity (EVA) scheduled for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) STS-61 servicing mission later this year.

NASA's F-15B testbed aircraft in flight during the first evaluation flight of the joint NASA/Gulfstream Quiet Spike project. The project seeks to verify the structural integrity of the multi-segmented, articulating spike attachment designed to reduce and control a sonic boom.

A group of scientists are gathered around a table covered in large maps in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

Artemis III Geology Team member, Jose Hurtado from the University of Texas at El Paso, left, and Maria Banks of NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center work in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

Megan Borel of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center points to a location on a map of the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona during a discussion in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

Artemis Curation Lead Julianne Gross, left, and Brett Denevi, Artemis III Geology Team principal investigator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, work in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas

A large group of scientists work in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during the JETT 5 field test. The SER is the science backroom to mission control during Artemis operations. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

A group of scientists are gathered around a table covered in large maps in the Science Evaluation Room (SER) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during the JETT 5 field test. JETT 5 was a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff, Arizona while a team of flight controllers and scientists at Johnson monitor and guide their activities. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

STS087-341-004 (3 Dec. 1997) --- Backdropped over Africa, Takao Doi, international mission specialist representing Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA), works with a crane device during a second extravehicular activity (EVA) designed to help evaluate techniques and hardware to be used in constructing the International Space Station (ISS). Takao Doi and astronaut Winston E. Scott (out of frame) were involved in the mission's second EVA in the cargo bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Takao Doi is working with a 156-pound crane designed to aid spacewalkers in transporting Orbital Replacement Units (ORU) from translation carts on the exterior of the ISS to various worksites on the truss structure. The view of Earth below features an inland delta in Mali (frame center). This view is from the east toward the west and was taken with a 35mm camera.

STS087-341-036 (3 Dec. 1997) --- Backdropped against a dark Earth and a light blue horizon, astronaut Takao Doi (right), international mission specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), works with a crane while astronaut Winston E. Scott looks on. This second extravehicular activity (EVA) of the mission continued the evaluation of techniques and hardware to be used in constructing the International Space Station (ISS). Near Scott can be seen the representation of a small Orbital Replacement Unit (ORU) in the grasp of the 156-pound crane operated by Doi. A similar crane could be used to transport various sized ORU’s from translation carts on the exterior of the ISS to various worksites on the truss structure. This view was captured, on 35mm film, by a crew mate in the shirt sleeve environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia's cabin. The SPARTAN-201 satellite is in its stowed position at frame center.

Jeff Greulich, DynCorp life support technician, adjusts a prototype helmet on pilot Craig Bomben at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Built by Gentex Corp., Carbondale, Pa., the helmet was evaluated by five NASA pilots during the summer and fall of 2002. The objective was to obtain data on helmet fit, comfort and functionality. The inner helmet of the modular system is fitted to the individual crewmember. The outer helmet features a fully integrated spectral mounted helmet display and a binocular helmet mounted display. The helmet will be adaptable to all flying platforms. The Dryden evaluation was overseen by the Center's Life Support office. Assessments have taken place during normal proficiency flights and some air-to-air combat maneuvering. Evaluation platforms included the F-18, B-52 and C-12. The prototype helmet is being developed by the Naval Air Science and Technology Office and the Aircrew Systems Program Office, Patuxent River, Md.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars. Image Credit: NASA / Radislav Sinyak

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Engineers and astronauts conduct testing in a representative model of the Orion spacecraft at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on July 28, 2016 to gather the crew's feedback on the design of the docking hatch and on post-landing equipment operations. ..While the crew will primarily use the side hatch for entry and exit on Earth and the docking hatch to travel between Orion and a habitation module on long-duration deep space missions, the crew will need to be able to exit out of the docking hatch if wave heights in the Pacific Ocean upon splashdown are too high. The work is being done to help ensure all elements of Orion's design are safe and effective for the crew to use on future missions on the journey to Mars.

Approaching the runway after the first evaluation flight of the Quiet Spike project, NASA's F-15B testbed aircraft cruises over Roger's Dry Lakebed near the Dryden Flight Research Center. The Quiet Spike was developed by Gulfstream Aerospace as a means of controlling and reducing the sonic boom caused by an aircraft 'breaking' the sound barrier.

S66-51073 (15 Aug. 1966) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., prime crew pilot of the Gemini-12 spaceflight, undergoes evaluation procedures with the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit in the 30-foot altitude chamber at McDonnell. The suited Aldrin is wearing an AMU backpack and an Extravehicular Life Support System (ELSS) chest pack. Photo credit: NASA

The objectives of testing on PTERA include the development of tools and vetting of system integration, evaluation of vehicle control law, and analysis of SAW airworthiness to examine benefits to in-flight efficiency.

STS087-718-073 (19 November ? 5 December 1997) --- On the Space Shuttle Columbia's first ever spacewalk (EVA), astronaut Winston E. Scott works with a simulated battery and 156-pound crane carried onboard for the first time this trip of Columbia. The crane's inclusion and the work with it are part of a continuing preparation effort for future work on the International Space Station (ISS). The ongoing project allows for evaluation of tools and operating methods to be applied to the construction of the ISS. This crane device is designed to aid future spacewalkers in transporting Orbital Replacement Units (ORU), with a mass up to 600 pounds (like the simulated battery pictured here), from translating carts on the exterior of ISS to various worksites on the truss structure. Earlier, astronauts Takao Doi (at the base of the crane, out of frame at right), an international mission specialist representing Japan, and Winston E. Scott had installed the crane in a socket along the middle port side of Columbia's cargo bay for the evaluation. The two began the crane operations, long ago manifest for this mission, after completing a contingency spacewalk to snag the free-flying Spartan 201 and berth it in the payload bay (visible in the background).

STS087-718-069 (19 November ? 5 December 1997) --- On the Space Shuttle Columbia's first ever spacewalk (EVA), astronaut Takao Doi works with a 156-pound crane carried onboard for the first time this trip of Columbia. The crane's inclusion and the work with it are part of a continuing preparation effort for future work on the International Space Station (ISS). The ongoing project allows for evaluation of tools and operating methods to be applied to the construction of the Space Station. This crane device is designed to aid future spacewalkers in transporting Orbital Replacement Units (ORU), with a mass up to 600 pounds (like the simulated battery pictured here), from translating carts on the exterior of ISS to various worksites on the truss structure. Earlier Doi, an international mission specialist representing Japan, and astronaut Winston E. Scott had installed the crane in a socket along the middle port side of Columbia's cargo bay for the evaluation. The two began the crane operations, long ago manifest for this mission, after completing a contingency spacewalk to snag the free-flying Spartan 201 and berth it in the payload bay (visible in the background).

Giovanni Rosanova, chief of the Sounding Rocket Program Office at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, center, describes work done in the Payload Integration Laboratory of the Sounding Rockets Machine Shop, Test and Evaluation Facility during a tour with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Dennis Andrucyk, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Dave Pierce, director of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, and Dennis Andrucyk, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, are seen during a tour of the Sounding Rockets Machine Shop, Test and Evaluation Facility, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

In Discovery's cargo bay, astronaut James H. Newman works with the power ratchet tool (PRT). Astronaut Carl E. Walz, who joined Newman for the lengthy period of extravehicular activity (EVA), is partially visible in the background. The two mission specialists devoted part of their EVA to evaluating tools and equipment expected to be used in the Hubble Space Telescope servicing. A desert area in Africa forms the backdrop for the 70mm scene.

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson second from left, Dennis Andrucyk, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, center, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, second from right, and Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator, right, hold a recovered portion of the Black Brant IX sounding rocket used for the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE), during a tour of the Sounding Rockets Machine Shop, Test and Evaluation Facility, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

S97-11949 (8 Sept 1997) --- Wearing training versions of the Shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit, astronauts Jerry L. Ross (left), and James Newman perform the first training session in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) of the Sonny Carter Training Facility. The training was actually a dress rehearsal of three Extravehicular Activity?s (EVA) the pair will conduct during the July 1998 flight (STS-88) -- the first International Space Station (ISS) assembly mission. During the six-hour training session, the crew practiced hooking up power and data cables between full-scale mockups of the Functional Cargo Block and the United States-built Node 1 (foreground).

The IML-1 mission was the first in a series of Shuttle flights dedicated to fundamental materials and life sciences research with the international partners. The participating space agencies included: NASA, the 14-nation European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the French National Center of Space Studies (CNES), the German Space Agency and the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DAR/DLR), and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Dedicated to the study of life and materials sciences in microgravity, the IML missions explored how life forms adapt to weightlessness and investigated how materials behave when processed in space. Both life and materials sciences benefited from the extended periods of microgravity available inside the Spacelab science module in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. In this photograph, Commander Ronald J. Grabe works with the Mental Workload and Performance Evaluation Experiment (MWPE) in the IML-1 module. This experiment was designed as a result of difficulty experienced by crewmembers working at a computer station on a previous Space Shuttle mission. The problem was due to the workstation's design being based on Earthbound conditions with the operator in a typical one-G standing position. Information gained from this experiment was used to design workstations for future Spacelab missions and the International Space Station. Managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, IML-1 was launched on January 22, 1992 aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery (STS-42 mission).

This image taken March 25, 2010 shows preparations for radar testing for NASA Mars Science Laboratory. This day work evaluated a setup for suspending a rover mock-up beneath a helicopter at Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Hawthorne, Calif.

This area was designated Region D in the process of evaluating potential landing sites for NASA Phoenix Mars Lander. The topographical information is from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA Mars Global Surveyor orbiter.

The team developing NASA Mars Science Laboratory calls this test rover Scarecrow because the vehicle does not include a computer brain. Mobility engineers use this test rover to evaluate mobility and suspension performance.

A NASA Mars Science Laboratory test rover called the Vehicle System Test Bed, or VSTB, at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA serves as the closest double for Curiosity in evaluations of the mission hardware and software.
This frame taken from a three-frame animation aids evaluation of performance of the right-front wheel on NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during a drive on the rover 2,117th Martian day, or sol Dec. 16, 2009.

Marshall's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS) is used to simulate the gravitational fields and buoyancy effects outer space has on astronauts and their ability to perform tasks in this environment. In this example, a diver performs a temporary fluid line repair task using a repair kit developed by Marshall engineers. The analysis will determine the value of this repair kit and its feasibility.

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft arrives at the company’s Huntington Beach, California, facilities for evaluations. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions.

Boeing’s Structural Test Article of its CST-100 Starliner spacecraft arrives at the company’s Huntington Beach, California, facilities for evaluations. Built to the specifications of an operational spacecraft, the STA is intended to be evaluated through a series of thorough testing conditions.

Curtis Flack (left) and Paul von Hardenberg (right) inspect the ice formation on the spinner of an Advanced Air Mobility proprotor model tested in the Icing Research Tunnel. The data from the test will be used by icing researchers to better understand the risks of icing on electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles which will assist with the design and certification of new aircraft.

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California on September 27, 2004. The X-43 remained mated to the B-52 throughout this mission, intended to check its readiness for launch scheduled later in the fall.

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California on September 27, 2004. The X-43 remained mated to the B-52 throughout this mission, intended to check its readiness for launch scheduled later in the fall.

XV-15 (NASA-703) Evaluation Flight @ Ames

(STABLE) Suppression of Transient Accelerations by Leviation Evaluation