For the first time in history, astronauts use portable X-ray technology in space

Representative preflight, in-flight, and post-flight hand radiographs. Radiographs of the hand were acquired (A) preflight by a crew member, (B) in-flight on day 1 after launch (L+1) by a crew member, and (C) post-flight by a non-crew operator using the same imaging protocol. Image Credit: Radiological Society of North America(RSNA)​ The first X-rays taken in space have shown that astronauts may soon have access to a medical tool that could become important on missions to the Moon and beyond. During the Fram2 mission in 2025, crew members used a digital X-ray system while orbiting Earth, producing images that researchers found diagnostically adequate. The achievement is significant because ultrasound has been the only reliable medical imaging method available during spaceflight for more than four decades. In the study published in Radiology, researchers tested whether a commercial, portable X-ray system could work in microgravity when operated by crew members with limited training. The results suggest that it can. Although the experiment was small and revealed practical difficulties with positioning, it showed that useful X-ray images could be captured without live ground support, ...