First-ever human hand X-ray taken in space — Here's how

On the left is the first medical X-ray from 130 years ago, while the image on the right shows the first-ever X-ray taken in space—a scan of an astronaut’s hand wearing a ring. (Image: MIT)

A team of four astronauts took the first X-ray of a human hand in space as they floated high above our planet, making medical history. The X-ray was taken inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule orbiting our planet at 28,000 km/h and 320 km high above the surface. It bears a close resemblance to Wilhelm Röntgen's iconic picture taken 130 years ago. It is an important stride in furthering the health of astronauts on long-duration space missions.

The Fram2 mission, the first human space vehicle to circle the Earth around the poles, had the successful X-ray on board as part of the SpaceXray experiment. The privately funded mission by Maltese cryptocurrency billionaire Chun Wang was launched on March 31, 2025. Eric Philips of Australia, Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway, and Rabea Rogge of Germany joined Wang, who were all experienced arctic adventurers.

Fram2 Crew Used Portable Imaging System in Space

Just like Röntgen's first scan in 1895, Fram2's black-and-white photo showed a ringed hand. A microgravity device with a small size was employed in taking the X-ray. The device originally made for war use was adapted to meet the safety requirements in spaceflight regulations. The early results provided clean and workable scans despite concerns that the background cosmic radiation could blur the picture.

Lonnie Petersen, an associate professor at MIT and co-investigator on SpaceXray, said, "We were worried that the radiation would degrade the quality." But the first pictures are great. I look forward to seeing the rest of them.

The crew prolonged their protest after receiving the hand X-ray. The abdomen, chest, pelvis, and forearm were then scanned. In an effort to detect hardware malfunctions without exposing any panels, they also utilized X-ray machinery to scan the spaceship's electronics. They also performed a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan, which measures bone mineral density, a valuable health indicator during space travel where bones weaken.

During their 3.5-day voyage, the Fram2 crew conducted 22 science experiments. Apart from the X-ray testing, they examined Earth's poles and even tested how mushrooms develop in space. With little medical assistance on trips to the Moon or Mars, the portable X-ray machine showed how astronauts might monitor their own wellbeing.