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By NASA
NASA NASA astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert launch aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 11, 1970. The mission seemed to be going smoothly until 55 hours and 55 minutes in when an oxygen tank ruptured. The new mission plan involved abandoning the Moon landing, looping around the Moon and getting the crew home safely as quickly as possible. The crew needed to go into “lifeboat mode,” using the lunar module Aquarius to save the spacecraft and crew. On April 17, the crew returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.
Image credit: NASA
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By NASA
Nick Kopp is a Dragon flight lead in the Transportation Integration Office at Johnson Space Center in Houston. He is currently leading NASA’s efforts to prepare, launch, and return the agency’s 32nd SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. He works directly with SpaceX and collaborates with NASA’s many internal, external, and international partners to ensure the success of this and other cargo missions to the International Space Station.
Read on to learn about his career with NASA and more!
Nick Kopp’s official portrait.NASA/Bill Stafford The time and effort spent building, maintaining, and conducting science on the International Space Station is spent by people in our community and communities around the world to further humanity's collective understanding of the universe around us.
Nick Kopp
Transportation Integration Office Flight Lead
Where are you from?
I am from Cleveland, Ohio.
Tell us about your role at NASA.
I work directly with SpaceX to ensure the Dragon cargo spacecraft meets NASA’s requirements to visit the space station. I also collaborate with NASA’s various partners who are safely flying science investigations and other cargo to and from the space station. For the upcoming flight, I’ve worked extensively with SpaceX to prepare to return the Dragon cargo spacecraft off the coast of California.
How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be familiar with NASA?
I’m responsible for getting stuff to and from the International Space Station safely.
How long have you been working for NASA?
I have been working for NASA for about 15 years at both Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and Johnson Space Center in Texas.
What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA?
It takes so many different people with all kinds of different skills working together to make missions happen. I would suggest looking at NASA’s websites to find the skill or task that makes you want to learn more and then focusing your energy into that skill. Surround yourself with people with similar goals. Connect with people in the industry and ask them questions. You are in control of your destiny!
Nick Kopp in front of the International Space Station Payload Operations Center at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. What was your path to NASA?
I’ve wanted to work at NASA since I was a kid and my grandfather showed me the Moon through his home-built telescope. I studied aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois, where I joined Students for the Exploration and Development of Space and attended a conference at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. I met some folks from the Payload Operations Integration Center and learned of the awesome space station science operations at Marshall. I was lucky enough to be chosen for a contractor job working directly with astronauts on the space station to conduct science experiments!
Is there someone in the space, aerospace, or science industry that has motivated or inspired you to work for the space program? Or someone you discovered while working for NASA who inspires you?
After working with him from the ground when he was aboard the space station, I was lucky enough to spend many overnight shifts getting to know NASA astronaut and Flight Director TJ Creamer. TJ’s path to NASA and his servant leadership have left an ongoing legacy for people at the agency. His general attitude, extreme competence, friendly demeanor, and genuine care for people around him continue to inspire me every day to become a great leader.
What is your favorite NASA memory?
My favorite NASA memory is being selected as a payload operations director on the International Space Station Payload Operations and Integration Center flight control team. I looked up to those in this position for 10 years and did everything I could to gather the skills and knowledge I needed to take on the role. I became responsible for the minute-to-minute operations of astronauts conducting science investigations on the space station. I vividly remember the joy I felt learning of the news of my assignment, taking my first shift, my first conversation with an astronaut in space, and the bittersweet decision to leave and continue my career goals at NASA in a different role.
Nick Kopp, right, behind a console in the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. What do you love sharing about station? What’s important to get across to general audiences to help them understand the benefits to life on Earth?
Although it takes place off the planet, research on the space station is conducted for people on Earth. The time and effort spent building, maintaining, and conducting science on the International Space Station is spent by people in our community and communities around the world to further humanity’s collective understanding of the universe around us. When we understand more about science, we can be more successful. So many people around the planet have had life-changing benefits from experiments that can only be done by people conducting research in microgravity, above the atmosphere, where you can view most of Earth.
If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be?
I would have dinner with anyone from the Apollo 13 crew. I’d love to learn how they felt that NASA’s culture drove the outcome of that mission.
Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you?
While working a night shift at the operations center in Huntsville, Alabama, we were monitoring payloads returning to Earth on a Dragon cargo spacecraft. We took a quick break outside the control center to watch as the spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere above us on its way to splash down off the coast of Florida. It was a clear night. As the spacecraft flew overhead, we saw the ablative heat shield create a shimmering trail of fire and sparkles that stretched across the whole night sky. It looked as though Tinker Bell just flew over us!
What are some of the key projects you’ve worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite?
Some of my favorite projects I’ve worked on include:
Serving as the International Space Station Program’s representative as flight lead for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission Troubleshooting unexpected results when conducting science on the space station Writing instructions for astronauts filming a virtual reality documentary on the space station Assessing design changes on the Space Launch System rocket’s core stage Managing and training a team of flight controllers Helping NASA move Dragon spacecraft returns from Florida to California Nick Kopp enjoys sailing on his days off. What are your hobbies/things you enjoy outside of work?
I love playing board games with my wife, sailing, flying, traveling around the world, and learning about leadership and project management theory.
Day launch or night launch?
The Crew-8 night launch, specifically, where the Falcon 9 booster landed just above me!
Favorite space movie?
Spaceballs
NASA “worm” or “meatball” logo?
Meatball
Every day, we’re conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore further into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It’s a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.
Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on Twitter, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
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By NASA
NASA/Joel Kowsky A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crew members including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The crew arrived at the space station the same day, bringing the number of residents to 10 for the next two weeks. Expedition 73 will begin on Saturday, April 19, following the departure of NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, as they conclude a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, and human research.
Follow space station activities on the International Space Station blog.
Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
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By NASA
NASA astronauts (left to right) Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel The Artemis II test flight will be NASA’s first mission with crew under Artemis. Astronauts on their first flight aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft will confirm all of the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with crew aboard in the actual environment of deep space. Through the Artemis campaign, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars – for the benefit of all.
The unique Artemis II mission profile will build upon the uncrewed Artemis I flight test by demonstrating a broad range of SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion capabilities needed on deep space missions. This mission will prove Orion’s critical life support systems are ready to sustain our astronauts on longer duration missions ahead and allow the crew to practice operations essential to the success of Artemis III and beyond.
Leaving Earth
The mission will launch a crew of four astronauts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Block 1 configuration of the SLS rocket. Orion will perform multiple maneuvers to raise its orbit around Earth and eventually place the crew on a lunar free return trajectory in which Earth’s gravity will naturally pull Orion back home after flying by the Moon. The Artemis II astronauts are NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
The initial launch will be similar to Artemis I as SLS lofts Orion into space, and then jettisons the boosters, service module panels, and launch abort system, before the core stage engines shut down and the core stage separates from the upper stage and the spacecraft. With crew aboard this mission, Orion and the upper stage, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), will then orbit Earth twice to ensure Orion’s systems are working as expected while still close to home. The spacecraft will first reach an initial orbit, flying in the shape of an ellipse, at an altitude of about 115 by 1,400 miles. The orbit will last a little over 90 minutes and will include the first firing of the ICPS to maintain Orion’s path. After the first orbit, the ICPS will raise Orion to a high-Earth orbit. This maneuver will enable the spacecraft to build up enough speed for the eventual push toward the Moon. The second, larger orbit will take approximately 23.5 hours with Orion flying in an ellipse between about 115 and 46,000 miles above Earth. For perspective, the International Space Station flies a nearly circular Earth orbit about 250 miles above our planet.
After the burn to enter high-Earth orbit, Orion will separate from the upper stage. The expended stage will have one final use before it is disposed through Earth’s atmosphere—the crew will use it as a target for a proximity operations demonstration. During the demonstration, mission controllers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will monitor Orion as the astronauts transition the spacecraft to manual mode and pilot Orion’s flight path and orientation. The crew will use Orion’s onboard cameras and the view from the spacecraft’s windows to line up with the ICPS as they approach and back away from the stage to assess Orion’s handling qualities and related hardware and software. This demonstration will provide performance data and operational experience that cannot be readily gained on the ground in preparation for critical rendezvous, proximity operations and docking, as well as undocking operations in lunar orbit beginning on Artemis III.
Checking Critical Systems
Following the proximity operations demonstration, the crew will turn control of Orion back to mission controllers at Johnson and spend the remainder of the orbit verifying spacecraft system performance in the space environment. They will remove the Orion Crew Survival System suit they wear for launch and spend the remainder of the in-space mission in plain clothes, until they don their suits again to prepare for reentry into Earth’s atmosphere and recovery from the ocean.
While still close to Earth, the crew will assess the performance of the life support systems necessary to generate breathable air and remove the carbon dioxide and water vapor produced when the astronauts breathe, talk, or exercise. The long orbital period around Earth provides an opportunity to test the systems during exercise periods, where the crew’s metabolic rate is the highest, and a sleep period, where the crew’s metabolic rate is the lowest. A change between the suit mode and cabin mode in the life support system, as well as performance of the system during exercise and sleep periods, will confirm the full range of life support system capabilities and ensure readiness for the lunar flyby portion of the mission.
Orion will also checkout the communication and navigation systems to confirm they are ready for the trip to the Moon. While still in the elliptical orbit around Earth, Orion will briefly fly beyond the range of GPS satellites and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites of NASA’s Space Network to allow an early checkout of agency’s Deep Space Network communication and navigation capabilities. When Orion travels out to and around the Moon, mission control will depend on the Deep Space Network to communicate with the astronauts, send imagery to Earth, and command the spacecraft.
After completing checkout procedures, Orion will perform the next propulsion move, called the translunar injection (TLI) burn. With the ICPS having done most of the work to put Orion into a high-Earth orbit, the service module will provide the last push needed to put Orion on a path toward the Moon. The TLI burn will send crew on an outbound trip of about four days and around the backside of the Moon where they will ultimately create a figure eight extending over 230,000 miles from Earth before Orion returns home.
To the Moon and “Free” Ride Home
On the remainder of the trip, astronauts will continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s systems, including demonstrating Earth departure and return operations, practicing emergency procedures, and testing the radiation shelter, among other activities.
The Artemis II crew will travel approximately 4,600 miles beyond the far side of the Moon. From this vantage point, they will be able to see the Earth and the Moon from Orion’s windows, with the Moon close in the foreground and the Earth nearly a quarter-million miles in the background.
With a return trip of about four days, the mission is expected to last about 10 days. Instead of requiring propulsion on the return, this fuel-efficient trajectory harnesses the Earth-Moon gravity field, ensuring that—after its trip around the far side of the Moon—Orion will be pulled back naturally by Earth’s gravity for the free return portion of the mission.
Two Missions, Two Different Trajectories
Following Artemis II, Orion and its crew will once again travel to the Moon, this time to make history when the next astronauts walk on the lunar surface. Beginning with Artemis III, missions will focus on establishing surface capabilities and building Gateway in orbit around the Moon.
Through Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before and create an enduring presence in deep space.
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By NASA
After months of groundbreaking research, exploration, and teamwork aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 has returned to Earth.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down safely on March 18, 2025, as a pod of dolphins circled the Dragon spacecraft near Tallahassee, Florida.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, March 18, 2025.NASA/Keegan Barber Williams and Wilmore made history as the first humans to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). Launched June 5, 2024, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the CFT mission was Boeing’s first crewed flight.
Hague and Gorbunov launched to the space station on Sept. 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the International Space Station’s Unity module. From left, are NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore.NASA During their long-duration mission, the American crew members conducted more than 150 unique experiments and logged over 900 hours of research aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Their work included studying plant growth and development, testing stem cell technology for patient care on Earth, and examining how spaceflight affects materials—insights vital for future deep space missions.
The crew kicked off 2025 with two spacewalks that included removing an antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting microbial samples from the orbital outpost’s exterior for analysis by Johnson’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science division, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more.
Williams now holds the record for the most cumulative spacewalking time by a woman — 62 hours and 6 minutes — placing her fourth among the most experienced spacewalkers in history.
While in orbit, the crew also engaged the next generation through 30 ham radio events with students around the world and supported a student-led genetic experiment.
As part of the CFT, Williams and Wilmore commanded Starliner during in-flight testing and were the first to see the spacecraft integrated in simulations and operate it hands-on in space, evaluating systems like maneuvering, docking, and emergency protocols.
“We’ve learned a lot about systems integrated testing that will pay benefits going forward and lay the groundwork for future missions,” said Wilmore.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore participate in an emergency operations simulation in the Boeing Starliner simulator at Johnson Space Center in Houston.NASA/Robert Markowitz Following the test flight, NASA and Boeing are continuing work toward crew certification of the company’s CST-100 Starliner system. Joint teams are addressing in-flight anomalies and preparing for propulsion system testing ahead of the next mission.
Despite the unexpected challenges, including technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft that extended their mission, both Wilmore and Williams said they would do it all over again. Wilmore emphasized his gratitude in being part of testing Starliner’s capabilities, stating, “I’d get on it in a heartbeat.”
After returning to Earth, the crew received a warm welcome from family, colleagues, and fellow astronauts at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field. They were greeted by Johnson Acting Director Steve Koerner, who applauded their dedication and resilience.
Suni Williams is greeted by Johnson Acting Director Steve Koerner at Ellington Field in Houston after completing a long-duration science mission aboard the International Space Station.NASA/Robert Markowitz Williams shared a heartfelt embrace with astronaut Zena Cardman, thanking her for “taking one for the team.” Cardman had originally been assigned to Crew-9, but in August, NASA announced the uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth and integrated Wilmore and Williams into Expedition 71/72 for a return on Crew-9. This adjustment meant Cardman and astronaut Stephanie Wilson would no longer fly the mission—a decision that underscored the flexibility and teamwork essential to human spaceflight.
Cardman is now assigned as commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission, set to launch in the coming months to the International Space Station for a long-duration science expedition.
Butch Wilmore receives a warm welcome from NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Woody Hoburg at Ellington Field.NASA/Robert Markowitz Williams and Wilmore each brought decades of experience to the mission. Wilmore, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran fighter pilot, has logged 464 days in space over three flights. Outside of NASA, he serves as a pastor, leads Bible studies, and participates in mission trips across Central and South America. A skilled craftsman, he also builds furniture and other pieces for his local church.
Growing up in Tennessee, Wilmore says his faith continues to guide him, especially when navigating the uncertainties of flight.
Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore works inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module to install the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device.NASA Wilmore encourages the next generation with a call to action: “Strap on your work hat and let’s go at it!” He emphasizes that tenacity and perseverance are essential for achieving anything of value. Motivated by a sense of patriotic duty and a desire to help those in need, Wilmore sees his astronaut role as a commitment to both his country and humanity at large.
Wilmore believes he’s challenged every day at NASA. “Doing the right things for the right reasons is what motivates me,” he said.
Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams monitors an Astrobee robotic free-flyer outfitted with tentacle-like arms containing gecko-like adhesive pads preparing to grapple a “capture cube.”NASA A retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of three spaceflights, Williams is a helicopter pilot, basic diving officer, and the first person to run the Boston Marathon in space—once in 2007, and again aboard the station in 2025. Originally from Needham, Massachusetts, she brings a lifelong spirit of adventure and service to everything she does.
“There are no limits,” said Williams. “Your imagination can make something happen, but it’s not always easy. There are so many cool things we can invent to solve problems—and that’s one of the joys of working in the space program. It makes you ask questions.”
Hague, a Kansas native, has logged a total of 374 days in space across three missions. A U.S. Space Force colonel and test pilot, he’s served in roles across the country and abroad, including a deployment to Iraq.
“When we’re up there operating in space, it’s focused strictly on mission,” said Hague. “We are part of an international team that spans the globe and works with half a dozen mission control centers that are talking in multiple languages — and we figure out how to make it happen. That’s the magic of human spaceflight: it brings people together.”
Expedition 72 Pilot Nick Hague inside the cupola with space botany hardware that supports the Rhodium Plant LIFE investigation.NASA For Williams, Wilmore, Hague, Gorbunov, and the team supporting them, Crew-9 marks the beginning of a new era of space exploration — one driven by innovation, perseverance, and the unyielding dream of reaching beyond the stars.
Watch the full press conference following the crew’s return to Earth here.
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