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NASA

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NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is the United States civilian space and aeronautics agency. It began operations on October 1, 1958, incorporating the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and taking responsibility for the country's civilian space program.[1] Its work includes human and robotic spaceflight, Earth and planetary science, astronomy, aeronautics research, and technology development.[2]

NASA has developed and used virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) for astronaut training, engineering, and mission support. Its documented projects include multisensory interface research at Ames Research Center in the 1980s, Johnson Space Center's Virtual Reality Training Lab, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) collaborations with Microsoft on Mars visualization and astronaut assistance.[3][4][5]

Ames virtual environment research

The Virtual Interface Environment Workstation (VIEW) at NASA Ames combined a head-mounted display with input from the user's position, voice, and gestures. Fisher, Elizabeth Wenzel, C. Coler, and Michael McGreevy described VIEW in a 1988 Human Factors Society conference paper as a multisensory interface for telerobotics, information management, and human factors research.[6]

An earlier presentation by Scott Fisher, given at Ames in December 1985 and published in NASA's 1988 review proceedings, described monochrome LCD screens for the two eyes, wide-angle optics, and a helmet sensor that updated the stereo view as the operator moved. Glove-like devices transmitted arm, hand, and finger information; speech recognition supported interaction alongside gestures. The system could display computer-generated imagery, remote video, or a combination. Experimental work included controlling robot arms and cameras, arranging virtual information panels, and evaluating teleoperation and spatial sound. The presentation describes experimental interfaces for laboratory research.[3]

Astronaut training

Johnson Space Center's Virtual Reality Training Lab

NASA's Virtual Reality Training Lab (VRL) supports extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, training and robotic operations. It combines the Trick simulation environment, Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG), immersive displays, and robotic hardware. Crews can rehearse a spacewalk together with robotic arm operators and review their relative positions around a simulated spacecraft.[4]

A 2020 paper by Angelica D. Garcia, Jonathan Schlueter, and Eddie Paddock dates the formal establishment of the Integrated EVA RMS Virtual Reality Training Facility to 1992. The early system provided a combined view of the shuttle, its robotic arm, and the Hubble Space Telescope worksite, addressing the difficulty of representing the complete configuration in a physical training facility.[7]

The paper describes three principal training systems:[7]

System Training function
Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) A flight-like hand controller and simulated thruster dynamics let astronauts practice returning to the station after a simulated separation. Instructors can vary initial conditions and introduce failures.[7]
Charlotte mass handling system A cable-driven robot responds to measured forces and torques according to a virtual payload's mass properties. Its physical interface and the displayed payload allow astronauts to practice handling and installing objects in simulated microgravity.[7]
Integrated robotics and EVA worksite training A robotic workstation and immersed spacewalk participants share a graphical environment to rehearse arm movements, communication, and worksite procedures.[7]

The lab's mass simulation supplies force feedback alongside the visual scene. NASA describes a six-degree-of-freedom simulation with force and moment sensors and a custom robot that models payload motion in microgravity.[4] NASA training documentation updated in January 2026 lists the VR Lab alongside classrooms, part-task trainers, vehicle mockups, high-fidelity simulators, and the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Training products and trainers are validated or certified within that broader training process.[8]

Hybrid reality demonstrations

At the 2016 GPU Technology Conference, NASA technologists Matthew Noyes and Francisco Delgado demonstrated an ISS simulation using commercial game-engine technology, HTC Vive headsets, and motion controllers. Their hybrid reality approach matched elements of the virtual scene with physical structures that trainees could touch. The presentation also described a reconfigurable CAVE and video-wall approach for situations where a headset was unsuitable, including suited training.[9]

Mission visualization and engineering

OnSight

NASA and Microsoft announced OnSight in January 2015. Developed at JPL for Microsoft HoloLens, it used Curiosity rover data to construct a shared three-dimensional view of a Martian worksite. Scientists on Earth could examine terrain from different viewpoints and discuss rover activities in the reconstructed environment.[10][11] The announcement proposed testing in Curiosity operations later in 2015; a March 2016 NASA video transcript states that scientists were using OnSight in mission operations. The users and headsets remained on Earth while the software presented rover-derived terrain.[10][12]

ProtoSpace

ProtoSpace is a JPL-developed platform for collaborative CAD visualization in AR and in a three-dimensional web viewer. A 2025 developer-authored research manuscript describes a server that processes models and synchronizes sessions, HoloLens clients, and browser tools for reducing model complexity. Engineers can inspect a full-scale virtual spacecraft, align it with partially assembled hardware, or join a design discussion remotely. The paper documents uses in Mars 2020, Europa Clipper, NISAR, and other projects. Examples include checking potential cable snags on Perseverance and discussing Europa Clipper's avionics vault. These are engineering and integration applications on Earth. The authors discuss time and cost benefits through project case studies and engineer interviews.[13]

Orion assembly

NASA documented AR-assisted assembly of Orion hardware at Kennedy Space Center in March 2020. Lockheed Martin and subcontractor technicians used overlaid instructions to locate and orient components and cable-harness fasteners. Lockheed built the instructional content using WorkLink, the platform developed by Scope AR, and used Microsoft HoloLens 2 hardware. NASA's account describes contractor manufacturing work for the agency; the software platform and headset were external products. The account attributes time savings to staff describing particular manufacturing activities.[14]

XR aboard the International Space Station

Maintenance and remote assistance

Sidekick was a NASA-Microsoft project for assisting ISS crews with HoloLens. NASA's June 2015 announcement distinguished a Remote Expert Mode, with video communication and annotations from a ground specialist, from a Procedure Mode, with illustrated instructions associated with the object being worked on. The updated announcement records the devices' launch on December 6, 2015. JPL led development, while Johnson Space Center led testing and certification for station use.[5] NASA's September 2021 retrospective describes Sidekick's hands-free schematics and video assistance as an early station AR application.[15]

T2 Augmented Reality (T2 AR) tested guidance for inspecting and maintaining the station's treadmill. NASA reported that JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi began the test series in April 2021. The investigation examined maintenance assistance relevant to future missions where communication delay could limit immediate help from Earth.[15]

On July 15, 2021, NASA astronaut Megan McArthur used a HoloLens while replacing hardware inside the Cold Atom Lab. Engineers at JPL could see her view through the headset camera and place text or arrows at relevant locations. The activity tested live cooperation between an astronaut and ground engineers during an actual orbital instrument upgrade. JPL's report distinguishes this from the previous upgrade's fixed-camera video link and from applications intended to guide an astronaut working independently.[16]

Training and research in orbit

NASA's VRL page documents SAFER Virtual Reality Trainer use aboard the ISS, including photographs of Christina Koch and Ricky Arnold using the system. DOUG supports both ground training and station-based graphics.[4]

VR also provides controlled visual stimuli for human research. NASA's June 17, 2026 station report describes Chris Williams using VR goggles while Jessica Meir operated a vestibular investigation within the CIPHER research suite. The goggles recorded eye movements while he responded to visual stimuli to investigate orientation, motion, and balance in microgravity. The session was part of an investigation into adaptation to weightlessness.[17]

Station XR work includes international projects. For example, NASA's 2021 overview identifies Pilote, a VR and haptic teleoperation investigation, as an ESA and CNES project. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur participated in the international investigation.[15]

Ground analogs and future EVA interfaces

In 2022, NASA described AR tasks within Campaign 6 of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) at Johnson Space Center. Volunteer crews lived in a ground habitat during a simulated journey to Phobos and used AR for medical, maintenance, or science tasks. Researchers examined their use of the tools and the amount of outside guidance they needed. HERA provided a ground setting for this study of crew autonomy.[18]

The Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics System (Joint AR) investigated a suit-compatible display for future surface EVA. A 2022 research paper identifies constraints including the distance between an astronaut's eyes and helmet-mounted optics, movement of the head within the helmet, display brightness and transparency, mass, power, and control while wearing pressurized gloves. It also argues that the interface must support cooperation with other crew and mission control. The paper describes design research and unresolved tradeoffs.[19] NASA subsequently documented astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas testing an AR navigation display during Earth-based field activities in northern Arizona in May 2024.[20]

NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (NASA SUITS) is a college design challenge for future spaceflight interfaces.[21] Its 2026-2027 mission description asks teams to develop displays, voice assistance, and background software for a mock lunar EVA. It permits a headset, tablet, phone, or other chosen device, while requiring an AR view of the real environment if a headset is used. Tasks include navigation in low light, scientific payload and geology procedures, telemetry display, and a route back to the lander. Selected teams are scheduled to test at Johnson Space Center in May 2027. These are student prototypes and simulated mission tasks.[22]

Public education and visualization

NASA's educational XR projects have different purposes from astronaut certification or spacecraft operations. Spacecraft AR, presented by JPL, places interactive spacecraft models on a flat surface viewed through a mobile device's camera. Users can inspect the models and learn about their engineering.[23]

The 2016 Destination: Mars project adapted OnSight for a guided public experience using rover imagery and recorded appearances by Buzz Aldrin and Curiosity rover driver Erisa Hines. NASA's March 2016 announcement described the experience and a planned Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex exhibit.[12]

Mars 2030 was developed by Fusion Media Group Labs with NASA research and technical collaboration under a Space Act Agreement. NASA's 2019 account describes contributions from its proposed Mars exploration architecture, rover concepts, and terrain models. NASA supplied expertise and data; Fusion developed the experience. Its habitats and other imagined human exploration infrastructure represented proposed concepts, with some adaptations for the experience, rather than existing installations on Mars.[24]

Reviewed 12 October 2026. NASA agency identity and cited VR/AR research, astronaut training, engineering, station activities, ground prototypes and educational projects; historical dates and proposed versus operational status. About review dates.

References

  1. ↑ John Uri (2023-10-02). "65 Years Ago: NASA Begins Operations". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/history/65-years-ago-nasa-begins-operations/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  2. ↑ "About NASA". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/about/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Scott S. Fisher (1988-05-01). "Virtual interface environment". NASA, Space Station Human Factors Research Review, Volume 4. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19880014769/downloads/19880014769.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Virtual Reality Training Lab". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/virtual-reality-lab-doug/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "NASA, Microsoft Collaborate to Bring Science Fiction to Science Fact". NASA. 2015-06-25. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-microsoft-collaborate-to-bring-science-fiction-to-science-fact/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  6. ↑ S. S. Fisher; E. M. Wenzel; C. Coler; M. W. McGreevy (1988). "Virtual interface environment workstations". NASA Technical Reports Server, Human Factors Society conference record. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19890044246. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Angelica D. Garcia; Jonathan Schlueter; Eddie Paddock (2020). "Training Astronauts using Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations and Virtual Reality". NASA Technical Reports Server, AIAA SciTech Forum. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20200011545/downloads/20200011545.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  8. ↑ "Crew & Operations Training". NASA. 2026-01-22. https://www.nasa.gov/reference/jsc-crew-operations-training/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  9. ↑ Paul James (2016-04-19). "A Look at NASA’s Hybrid Reality Astronaut Training System, Powered by HTC Vive". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/a-look-at-nasas-hybrid-reality-astronaut-training-system-powered-by-htc-vive/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "NASA, Microsoft Collaboration Will Allow Scientists to ‘Work on Mars’". NASA. 2015-01-20. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-microsoft-collaboration-will-allow-scientists-to-work-on-mars/?site=msl. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  11. ↑ Elizabeth Howell. "Walking on Mars: NASA, Microsoft Explore Red Planet with Wearable HoloLens". Space.com. https://www.space.com/28348-nasa-hololens-mars-curiosity-rover.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Mixed-Reality Tech Brings Mars to Earth". NASA Science. 2016-03-30. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/mixed-reality-tech-brings-mars-to-earth/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  13. ↑ Benjamin Nuernberger; Samuel-Hunter Berndt; Robert Tapella; Laura Mann; Aaron Plave; Sasha Samochina; Victor X. Luo (2025-10-08). "A Review of 10 Years of ProtoSpace: Spacecraft CAD Visualization in Collaborative Augmented Reality". arXiv, JPL research manuscript. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2510.06608. https://arxiv.org/html/2510.06608v1. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  14. ↑ Linda Herridge (2020-03-31). "Using Augmented Reality to Prepare Orion Hardware for Artemis II Crewed Mission". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/orion/using-augmented-reality-to-prepare-orion-hardware-for-artemis-ii-crewed-mission/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Space Station Research Integration Office (2021-09-20). "Nine Ways We Use AR and VR on the International Space Station". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/nine-ways-we-use-ar-and-vr-on-the-international-space-station/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  16. ↑ "Upgrading the Space Station’s Cold Atom Lab With Mixed Reality". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 2021-10-26. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/upgrading-the-space-stations-cold-atom-lab-with-mixed-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  17. ↑ Mark A. Garcia (2026-06-17). "Advanced Health Research on Station Using Augmented, Virtual Reality Tools". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/06/17/advanced-health-research-on-station-using-augmented-virtual-reality-tools/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  18. ↑ Nathan Cranford; Jennifer Turner (2022-05-05). "HERA Crew Members Step Into Augmented Reality". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/hera-crew-members-step-into-augmented-reality/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  19. ↑ Matthew J. Miller; Daren Welsh; Briana Krygier; Matthew Noyes; Kelly Mann; Paromita Mitra (2022). "Realizing a Spacesuit Compatible Augmented Reality System to Meet the Work Needs of Future Human Spaceflight Exploration". NASA Technical Reports Server, 2022 ASCEND. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220013671/downloads/Joint_AR_AIAA_ASCEND_Manuscript.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  20. ↑ Lonnie Shekhtman (2024-07-01). "Behind the Scenes of a NASA ‘Moonwalk’ in the Arizona Desert". NASA Science. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/behind-the-scenes-of-a-nasa-moonwalk-in-the-arizona-desert/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  21. ↑ "NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/spacesuit-user-interface-technologies-for-students/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  22. ↑ "2026-2027 NASA SUITS Mission Description". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/fy27-nasa-suits-mission-description.pdf?emrc=d6c427%3Femrc%3Dd6c427. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  23. ↑ "Spacecraft AR". NASA Science. https://science.nasa.gov/eyes/spacecraft-ar/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
  24. ↑ "NASA Research Sends Video Game Players on a Journey to Mars". NASA Spinoff. 2019. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2019/cg_3.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
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