MinXray Device to Capture First Ever Human X-ray in Space

Portable wireless handheld X-ray supplied to SpaceX Fram2 mission

NORTHBROOK, Ill. (March 24, 2025) — MinXray’s Impact System, a complete Wireless Digital X-ray System, will be used aboard the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft to capture the first X-ray taken of a human in space during SpaceX’s Fram2 mission on March 31.

This mission will be the first manned spaceflight over Earth’s poles. The four-person crew of the private human spaceflight mission will be conducting scientific research throughout the craft’s three- to five-day orbit. While onboard, the crew hopes to gather and distribute data surrounding the poles and aurora-like phenomena while also performing a wide range of research on the effects of spaceflight on the human body with equipment developed through a collaborative effort between MinXray, KA Imaging and leading academic institutions.

The SpaceXray research team, comprising experts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mayo Clinic Rochester, MinXray and KA Imaging will validate a protocol for acquiring high-quality radiographs safely and efficiently in the microgravity and radiation environment of orbital flight. Researchers will evaluate image quality, contrast and spatial resolution, to demonstrate diagnostic imaging and bone density calculation applications of X-ray technology. The crew will also test image quality of electronic/hardware devices during the mission.

The ultra-portable feature of the Impact system to be used in the mission addresses the limitations of a traditional system, with lower mass, volume and power requirements, and radiation doses are less than a thousandth of the career limit for astronauts.

“This first X-ray in space will open the door for additional research and travel with the assurance that diagnostic imaging systems can operate during a space flight,” said Jeanne Walter, MinXray’s VP of marketing and sales. “Bone density loss is a significant concern in zero-gravity conditions, with astronauts losing 1-2 percent of the density in their hip and spine per month. The Fram2 mission marks the first step toward researching and overcoming this hurdle to longer and further space exploration.”

“Ultrasound has been used as the primary imaging modality in space,” said Amol Karnick, co-founder and CEO of KA Imaging, which will be providing its Reveal 35C X-ray detector for the mission. “However, both X-ray and ultrasound serve distinct purposes, and the opportunity to finally integrate spectral X-ray technology into a spacecraft represents a significant step forward in expanding advanced medical capabilities beyond our planet,” added Karnick.

The launch is set for March 31, 2025, from the LC-39A launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

To learn more about the diagnostic imaging equipment to be used during the flight, visit www.minxray.com, or contact MinXray at 800-221-2245 or at info@minxray.com.