NASA Johnson celebrates 25 years of continuous space station habitation

NASA’s Johnson Space Center brought the International Space Station’s 25-year legacy to the public on Jan. 24, 2026, during a community day event in Houston at Space Center Houston. The celebration highlighted a quarter century of continuous human presence in space, noting how astronauts living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory have advanced science, strengthened international partnerships, and helped shape future exploration beyond low Earth orbit.

The event featured interactive exhibits, special videos in the museum’s theaters and at each activity station, and hands-on demonstrations showing how the space station benefits life on Earth and prepares NASA for missions to the Moon and Mars. Johnson employees shared information about the agency’s current missions aboard the orbital outpost and how that research is helping prepare for future Artemis missions, including Artemis II’s upcoming journey around the Moon.

Visitors received a “Go for Launch” card and a stamp after completing activities at three NASA stations to earn their choice of prize, either a space station activity book or a 2026 space station calendar, and volunteers handed out pins and stickers. One exhibit had participants assemble a space-themed puzzle while wearing gardening gloves to demonstrate the limited mobility astronauts face during a spacewalk; attendees could then see and hold a spacesuit glove used during spacewalk training.

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