AstroRad Vest Worn by Astronauts Aboard International Space Station to Go on Display at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

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AstroRad Vest Worn by Astronauts Aboard International Space Station to Go on Display at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

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The historic exhibition follows landmark radiation protection findings from NASA's Artemis I mission, whose AstroRad vest is separately displayed at Kennedy Space Center.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- StemRad, a developer of advanced radiation protection technology, shared that one of its AstroRad radiation protection vests, flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and worn by five space travelers, will go on display in the At Home in Space gallery at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

From space to the Smithsonian: StemRad's AstroRad radiation protection vest aboard the International Space Station (left, credit: NASA) and on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (right, credit: NASM).

The vest was worn by four female American astronauts and an Israeli private astronaut during everyday activities aboard the ISS, including work and sleep. These in-orbit evaluations provided valuable experience with the practicality and comfort of wearable radiation protection during extended space missions.

The Smithsonian exhibition follows the recent publication of landmark scientific findings in Science Advances from NASA's Artemis I mission. The research demonstrated AstroRad's ability to dramatically reduce radiation exposure during potentially cancer-inducing solar radiation storms: for the August 1972 storm, which occurred between Apollo 16 and 17, a 60% reduction in dose was demonstrated (roughly 1,200 chest X-rays). This provided important evidence for protecting astronauts on future missions to the Moon and Mars.

The AstroRad vest that traveled around the Moon aboard Artemis I is separately on display at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Together, the two exhibits trace AstroRad's journey from operational evaluations aboard the ISS to radiation protection research beyond Earth's magnetic field.

"Having AstroRad displayed at the Smithsonian is a tremendous honor and a proud milestone for our team," said Dr. Oren Milstein, CEO and Co-Founder of StemRad. "Knowing that a technology we developed to help protect astronauts is now being recognized as part of the history of space exploration is incredibly rewarding. With AstroRad also on display at Kennedy Space Center following the groundbreaking Artemis I mission, we hope these exhibits will inspire future generations to tackle the challenges of human space exploration."

"The AstroRad vest helps tell two stories in the new At Home in Space exhibit," said Dr. Jennifer Levasseur, Museum Curator, and the lead curator for the gallery. "Importantly, the vest represents efforts to protect astronauts from the significant concern of increased radiation exposure on long duration spaceflights. It's also an example of how technology demonstrations on the ISS will inform future human deep space exploration." AstroRad was developed by StemRad in collaboration with Lockheed Martin to address one of the principal challenges of human space exploration: exposure to harmful ionizing radiation. The ISS operational evaluations, the Artemis I scientific results, and the Smithsonian and Kennedy Space Center exhibitions collectively highlight the growing role of wearable radiation protection in the future of human spaceflight.

About StemRad

StemRad is an American-Israeli company specializing in personal radiation protection technologies. Its solutions are designed to protect critical organs and tissues from harmful ionizing radiation while preserving mobility and operational effectiveness. StemRad develops radiation protection solutions for space exploration, emergency response, and defense applications.

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SOURCE StemRad