NASA For nearly a decade, I had a front-row seat to human spaceflight. From 2017 to 2026, I photographed astronauts, engineers, training, spacecraft and the strange everyday reality of preparing human beings to leave Earth. These photographs a

NASA

For nearly a decade, I had a front-row seat to human spaceflight.

From 2017 to 2026, I photographed astronauts, engineers, training, spacecraft and the strange everyday reality of preparing human beings to leave Earth. These photographs are a selection from my years at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, spanning the International Space Station era through the development of Artemis and humanity’s return to the Moon.

Artemis II Crew Portrait, 2023 Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Jeremy Hansen photographed after being selected as the Artemis II crew.

At 12:40 p.m. EST, Dec. 11, 2022, NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 25.5 day mission to the Moon. Orion will be recovered by NASA’s Landing and Recovery team, U.S. Navy and Department of Def

At 12:40 p.m. EST, Dec. 11, 2022, NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 25.5 day mission to the Moon. Orion will be recovered by NASA’s Landing and Recovery team, U.S. Navy and Department of Defense partners aboard the USS Portland.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (KSC-20221211-PH-JNV01-0003)

Nikon Z9 f/8, 1/5000 sec, ISO 800, 800mm

NASA astronauts piloting T-38 jets soar in formation above the Artemis I rocket on Launch Pad 39B as it awaits launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066538_alt) Nikon D850 f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 400

NASA astronauts piloting T-38 jets soar in formation above the Artemis I rocket on Launch Pad 39B as it awaits launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066538_alt)

Nikon D850 f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 400

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Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is suspended over a mock-up of the International Space Station during a microgravity simulation. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e127993) Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/3 sec, ISO 1000

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen is suspended over a mock-up of the International Space Station during a microgravity simulation.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e127993)

Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/3 sec, ISO 1000

NASA Research Pilot Adam Klein, pictured here wearing a WB-57 high altitude pressure suit, has flown upwards of 63,000 feet, high enough to see the sky darken and the curvature of the Earth come into view. This suit protects aircrew while operating

NASA Research Pilot Adam Klein, pictured here wearing a WB-57 high altitude pressure suit, has flown upwards of 63,000 feet, high enough to see the sky darken and the curvature of the Earth come into view. This suit protects aircrew while operating in the harsh “space equivalent zone” where loss of cabin pressure would be fatal.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e083553_alt)

Hasselblad H6D-50c f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 100

NASA T-38s fly in formation above Kennedy Space Center on the way to photograph Artemis I on the launchpad on August 23, 2022. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066547)

NASA T-38s fly in formation above Kennedy Space Center on the way to photograph Artemis I on the launchpad on August 23, 2022.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066547)

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NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, clad in a mockup spacesuit, navigates a lunar-like landscape during simulated moonwalks in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Northern Arizona. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e036527) Nikon D6 f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas, clad in a mockup spacesuit, navigates a lunar-like landscape during simulated moonwalks in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, Northern Arizona.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e036527)

Nikon D6 f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO 4000, 200mm

Personnel working on a mockup of the Orion spacecraft during crew egress testing in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e095662) Nikon D5 f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 800, 48mm

Personnel working on a mockup of the Orion spacecraft during crew egress testing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e095662)

Nikon D5 f/5.6, 1/4000 sec, ISO 800, 48mm

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas raises an American flag as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins looks on during their first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks and six advanced technology runs in the San Francisco

NASA astronaut Andre Douglas raises an American flag as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins looks on during their first simulated moonwalk in a week-long field test consisting of four simulated moonwalks and six advanced technology runs in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in Northern Arizona on May 13, 2024.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e033759)

Nikon D6 f/5.6, 1/640 sec, ISO 100, 48mm

NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara brings a fresh perspective to portrait photography with a hair flip that seems to defy gravity at the NASA Johnson Space Center photo studio. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e041196_alt) Nikon D850 f/11, 1/250 sec, I

NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara brings a fresh perspective to portrait photography with a hair flip that seems to defy gravity at the NASA Johnson Space Center photo studio.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e041196_alt)

Nikon D850 f/11, 1/250 sec, ISO 100, 48mm

NASA astronaut and Navy Submarine Warfare Officer Kayla Barron. Prior to NASA, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2021e044359_alt)

NASA astronaut and Navy Submarine Warfare Officer Kayla Barron. Prior to NASA, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2021e044359_alt)

Ryan Gosling tours NASA’s Johnson Space Center as part of the filmmakers’ extensive research prior to the filming of First Man. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 4000

Ryan Gosling tours NASA’s Johnson Space Center as part of the filmmakers’ extensive research prior to the filming of First Man.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/320 sec, ISO 4000

NASA astronaut candidate Jasmin Moghbeli gets an assist from veteran astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson while preparing for a spacewalk training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e096672) Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/250 sec

NASA astronaut candidate Jasmin Moghbeli gets an assist from veteran astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson while preparing for a spacewalk training session at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e096672)

Nikon D5 f/4.0, 1/250 sec, ISO 4000

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Geology training during a simulated moonwalk at the NASA Johnson Space Center Rock Yard. NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e031851)

Geology training during a simulated moonwalk at the NASA Johnson Space Center Rock Yard.

NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e031851)

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, clad in a mockup spacesuit, tests lunar sampling tools during a simulated moonwalk at the NASA Johnson Space Center Rock Yard. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e031848)

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, clad in a mockup spacesuit, tests lunar sampling tools during a simulated moonwalk at the NASA Johnson Space Center Rock Yard.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e031848)

U.S. Navy Divers practice with NASA's Orion Spacecraft Crew Module Uprighting System at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. In the event of an upside down or turnover landing, the bags will inflate to turn Orion right side up. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc

U.S. Navy Divers practice with NASA's Orion Spacecraft Crew Module Uprighting System at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. In the event of an upside down or turnover landing, the bags will inflate to turn Orion right side up.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2017e088124)

Mastering the art of space robotics, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara practices flying the Canadarm from the mock-up cupola in the Systems Engineering Simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, providing a glimpse into the intense training and preparation

Mastering the art of space robotics, NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara practices flying the Canadarm from the mock-up cupola in the Systems Engineering Simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, providing a glimpse into the intense training and preparation for missions aboard the International Space Station.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e078437_alt)

Nikon Z9 f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO 4000, 14mm

Navy pilot and NASA astronaut candidate Jack “Radio” Hathaway pilots a NASA T-38 jet during a mission to photograph Artemis I on the launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066548) Nikon D850 f/4.0, 1/640 sec,

Navy pilot and NASA astronaut candidate Jack “Radio” Hathaway pilots a NASA T-38 jet during a mission to photograph Artemis I on the launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e066548)

Nikon D850 f/4.0, 1/640 sec, ISO 200, 95mm

NASA Astronaut Nick Hague. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e038155_alt)

NASA Astronaut Nick Hague.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e038155_alt)

ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e026605_alt)

ESA Astronaut Luca Parmitano.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e026605_alt)

NASA Astronaut Drew Morgan. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e026768_alt)

NASA Astronaut Drew Morgan.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e026768_alt)

Astronaut Kate Rubins, a molecular biologist and veteran of two spacewalks, became the first person to sequence DNA in space in 2016. Even before NASA, Rubins was no stranger to space suits – she wore a protective suit for years as a virologist stud

Astronaut Kate Rubins, a molecular biologist and veteran of two spacewalks, became the first person to sequence DNA in space in 2016. Even before NASA, Rubins was no stranger to space suits – she wore a protective suit for years as a virologist studying smallpox in a biosafety lab.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e066439_alt)

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover epitomizes high-speed excellence. As a Naval Aviator, he was a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler. In 2020, he piloted the first operational SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the ISS, becoming

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover epitomizes high-speed excellence. As a Naval Aviator, he was a test pilot for the F/A-18 Hornet, Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler. In 2020, he piloted the first operational SpaceX Crew Dragon flight to the ISS, becoming the first African American to undertake a long-duration mission on the station.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2021e059485_alt)

NASA Astronaut Tom Marshburn launched on the SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station in 2021. This was Marshburn’s third spaceflight, having previously flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Soyuz spacecraft. Photo: NASA/Jos

NASA Astronaut Tom Marshburn launched on the SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station in 2021. This was Marshburn’s third spaceflight, having previously flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Soyuz spacecraft.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2021e031000_alt)

The real Silver Surfer: NASA astronaut, Navy SEAL, and veteran space walker Chris Cassidy. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e002560_alt2)

The real Silver Surfer: NASA astronaut, Navy SEAL, and veteran space walker Chris Cassidy.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e002560_alt2)

NASA Astronaut, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, test pilot, and SpaceX Crew-5 Mission Commander Nicole Mann. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e042641_alt)

NASA Astronaut, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, test pilot, and SpaceX Crew-5 Mission Commander Nicole Mann.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e042641_alt)

NASA Flight Engineer Mallory Yates flys in the rear cockpit of the WB-57 high altitude research aircraft, where she manages and operates its complex systems and equipment. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e083557_alt)

NASA Flight Engineer Mallory Yates flys in the rear cockpit of the WB-57 high altitude research aircraft, where she manages and operates its complex systems and equipment.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2018e083557_alt)

NASA astronaut and Navy Submarine Warfare Officer Kayla Barron. Prior to NASA, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e049793_alt)

NASA astronaut and Navy Submarine Warfare Officer Kayla Barron. Prior to NASA, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e049793_alt)

Suited up and laser-focused, NASA Astronaut Christina Koch prepares for Artemis II Orion Water Survival training at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e009651)

Suited up and laser-focused, NASA Astronaut Christina Koch prepares for Artemis II Orion Water Survival training at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e009651)

Veteran NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore in his “Boeing Blue” spacesuit. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e053044_alt)

Veteran NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore in his “Boeing Blue” spacesuit.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2020e053044_alt)

Gene Kranz, the Legendary Flight Director who played a pivotal role in NASA's journey to the Moon, stands in the restored Apollo Mission Control viewing room. Every detail, from the coat hangers to the wall-sized screens, faithfully reflects the 196

Gene Kranz, the Legendary Flight Director who played a pivotal role in NASA's journey to the Moon, stands in the restored Apollo Mission Control viewing room. Every detail, from the coat hangers to the wall-sized screens, faithfully reflects the 1969 era. In this moving moment, he looks down at the vintage flight consoles, listening to a recording of the flight communications from the historic first moon landing.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2023e053157_alt)

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen were announced Monday, April 3 as the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen were announced Monday, April 3 as the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel

NASA Astronaut Bob “Farmer” Hines served as mission pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station. Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e000177_alt)

NASA Astronaut Bob “Farmer” Hines served as mission pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2022e000177_alt)

NASA Astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers. A veteran Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot, she’s now set to helm the Dragon spacecraft as pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station, launching later this year. Photo: NASA/Josh Val

NASA Astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers. A veteran Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot, she’s now set to helm the Dragon spacecraft as pilot for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station, launching later this year.

Photo: NASA/Josh Valcarcel (jsc2024e069023_alt)

Nikon Z9 f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 100, 85mm

A consumer drone on the show floor at CES 2016.

A consumer drone on the show floor at CES 2016.