NASA lists 750+ ISS investigations 2025

NASA said in May 2026 that researchers aboard the International Space Station carried out more than 750 investigations during 2025, a tally the agency used to showcase how the orbiting laboratory is feeding both exploration planning and Earth-based research. The agency’s 2025 Annual Highlights of Results groups the work as a cross-section rather than a full catalog, but the examples NASA singled out were unusually broad: robotic surgery tests, bone-regeneration materials, radiation-shielding studies and long-duration battery performance. NASA said the work was aimed at supporting missions to the Moon and Mars while also producing applications for medicine and industry on Earth. The agency released the annual highlights in May 2026. ### Where does the 750-plus figure come from? NASA said the number refers to investigations conducted in 2025 using the ISS as an orbital laboratory. In a May 2026 summary, the agency said those investigations advanced understanding of life in space, drove innovations for use on Earth and supported exploration planning for the Moon and Mars. NASA also said the station passed another milestone on Nov. 2, 2025, marking 25 years of continuous human presence in orbit. (nasa.gov) NASA said the 2025 publication covers only a subset of the results produced across the station partnership. The agency’s research-results page says the annual report is paired with a bibliometric list of archived ISS research publications from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. ### How did NASA frame the medical research? (nasa.gov) NASA said the Robotic Surgery Tech Demo tested whether a miniature robotic system could perform surgical tasks in microgravity. Researchers used rubber bands to simulate surgical work aboard the station, allowing NASA to observe communication delays from Earth and measure robotic precision during remote operations. (nasa.gov) Results showed that delays made procedures take longer but had minimal effect on accuracy, NASA said. The agency said that finding suggests precise surgery could eventually be performed in space, including at a lunar base or on Mars, and could also support compact medical systems in remote places on Earth. ### Why was bone-scaffold work one of the featured examples? (nasa.gov) NASA said the Roscosmos investigation Magnetic 3D Bioprinter used magnetic levitation in microgravity to form complex tissue structures with high precision and minimal materials. Researchers used the technique to position calcium crystals into structures that can serve as synthetic bone grafts and promote new bone growth. (nasa.gov) Samples formed in microgravity showed superior structural organization and a high capacity for bone tissue regeneration, according to NASA. The agency linked that work to a known risk of long-duration spaceflight, saying astronauts experience bone loss in space and may face a higher risk of fractures on exploration missions. (nasa.gov) ### What did NASA say about radiation shielding and fungi? NASA said one 2025 materials line examined how prolonged exposure to the vacuum of space affects materials used in exploration, including radiation-shielding materials. The agency said researchers exposed polymers, thermal protection systems, spacesuit components and shielding materials to the space environment for six months. (nasa.gov) NASA has separately said melanin-containing fungi have shown signs of surviving extended exposure in space and that fungal melanin may help cells resist extreme conditions, including radiation. NASA’s Science directorate has also described melanin as one of the traits researchers are studying for possible use in harsh environments beyond Earth. (nasa.gov) ### Why did the battery result stand out? NASA said researchers assembled a battery pack from multiple all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries in space and exposed it to the space environment for 434 days. The agency said the test was designed to track performance, degradation and radiation response over time. The battery pack showed stable electrical behavior, no signs of degradation and only a 2% loss in capacity, NASA said. (nasa.gov) That made it one of the clearest quantified findings in the annual roundup because NASA attached a duration, a performance measure and a specific technology platform to the result. That last point is an inference from the agency’s presentation of the data. (nasa.gov) ### Where can readers find the full report? NASA’s space station research-results page hosts the 2025 Annual Highlights of Results publication and a separate citations list tied to the reporting period ending Sept. 30, 2025. NASA also published a shorter May 2026 news summary, “NASA Highlights 2025 International Space Station Science Results,” that pulls together the featured examples from surgery, biomaterials and energy storage. (nasa.gov 1) (nasa.gov 2)