First diagnostic X-rays captured during spaceflight

Key facts

• The first diagnostic X-rays have been captured in space by non-medical crew members.
• A portable wireless digital X-ray generator was used during a SpaceX commercial flight.
• Image quality was found to be equivalent to terrestrial X-rays.
• Challenges remain in patient positioning in microgravity.
• Radiation exposure was within Earth-based clinical limits.
• The technology could have applications beyond spaceflight, including in remote or resource-limited areas.

Non-medical crew members have successfully captured the first diagnostic X-rays in space during a commercial spaceflight, utilizing a portable wireless digital X-ray generator. This achievement marks a significant step towards enhancing healthcare capabilities for astronauts on long-duration missions.

The study, published in the journal Radiology, found that the in-flight X-ray images were comparable in quality, spatial resolution, and contrast resolution to those taken on Earth. Researchers noted that one of the primary challenges encountered was achieving correct patient positioning in microgravity, with central body images proving more difficult than those of the hand or forearm.

Lead researcher Sheyna Gifford from the Mayo Clinic highlighted that traditional X-ray machines are too large and complex for spaceflight. The new SpaceXray system, however, allowed non-medical crew members to acquire radiographic images after just four hours of pre-flight training. The device was tested on a SpaceX commercial flight that launched on March 31, 2025, for a mission lasting three days and 14 hours. Although the X-ray generator sustained minor structural damage during landing, its internal components and output remained unaffected.

Beyond crew health, Gifford suggested that a spaceflight-ready radiography system could be vital for mission-critical nonmedical tasks, such as inspecting electronics and spacesuits. The technology also holds potential for terrestrial applications in combat zones or resource-limited communities for disease screening, including tuberculosis testing.