Explainers & Infographics

Explainers

NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps processes blood and saliva samples aboard the International Space Station's Harmony module. She stowed the specimens in a science freezer and the Kubik research incubator for future retrieval and later analysis. The weightless environment of the orbital outpost allows investigators to explore how living in space long term affects humans and gain insights not possible in Earth’s gravity conditions.

Why is Fundamental Research in Space Important?

Hand holding tissue chip and handing off to astronaut hand

10 Things to Know About Tissue Chips and How They Benefit Humanity.

Graphic showing two particles with an electric-like link between them, with many other particles in the background.

What is Quantum Entanglement?

Why NASA is studying flames in space

Why does NASA study flames in space?

Blue blobs are illuminated under a microscope on a black background. Small yellow, fluorescent dots are scattered throughout the blue blobs.

What are Plant Telomeres?

Why send plant seeds on a journey beyond the Van Allen Belts?

Why NASA Studies Crystals?

How (and why) do NASA researchers simulate microgravity on Earth?

A photo of astronaut Christina Kock wearing glasses onboard the International Space Station as she works on hardware for the Cold Atom Lab.

What is the Fifth State of Matter?

At the center of this image is a scientist wearing a white clean suit and mask, as well as gloves and goggles. There is a small hole and sterile tools in front of the scientist, who kneels in the soil of the Atacama desert. A desert landscape similar to that of Mars surrounds the scientist, with a vast stretch of dry, rocky soil leading up to shadowed mountains. Above the mountains and set amid a blue sky, the Sun peeks out at the top right of the image, causing a lens flare that stretches across the image.

Space Biology and Astrobiology: What’s the difference?

The Earth is centered against a starry universe. Several rainbow-colored bands surround the Earth in oblong and spherical shapes.

What are the Van Allen Belts and why do they matter?

Three women and one man are huddled around a box. They are wearing masks and gloves and are removing a medium-sized rectangular box from a cerulean blue canvas bag.

Why is NASA studying fungi?

Infographics

Space for a Cure

Leveraging Microgravity for Research

Graphic of Earth, Moon and Mars, showing various platform icons associated with each.

Research Platforms