25 Jun 2024

NASA astronaut Raja Chari, as a flight engineer for Expedition 66, captured a monumental image of the Pride flag flowing freely aboard the orbiting laboratory inside the Cupola. 

“As government astronauts, we explore on behalf of all humankind,” said Chari. “Whether it’s on the International Space Station or developing the Artemis vehicles that will take us back to the Moon, it’s NASA’s goal to make space accessible to everyone.” 

Reflecting on his experiences aboard the space station, Chari expressed gratitude for the global support network that supported him along the way. “Nothing I did in space would have been possible without leveraging the diversity of thought that makes human spaceflight possible,” he said. 

Chari also stressed the importance of diverse perspectives in overcoming the technical challenges of space exploration. “Every day I’m in meetings and testing events where we are tasked with the very real technical challenges of sustaining humans on the Moon and eventually Mars,” he said. “There is no way we will solve the problems on or off our planet if we don’t take advantage of having the most diverse team we can to ensure we don’t overlook a possible solution.” 

“Being in the Cupola with the Pride flag was a way to thank and encourage people to be proud of who they are, and bring their whole selves to work, because we’ll need all of them to get back to the Moon.” 

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The Pride flag flows aboard the International Space Station inside the cupola during Expedition 66.