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As\u00a0the FIFA World Cup\u00a0approaches, NASA is bringing\u00a0space science and\u00a0engineering\u00a0to soccer fans\u00a0worldwide.\u00a0From\u00a0June 11\u00a0to July 19,\u00a02026,\u00a0NASA will\u00a0host an\u00a0exhibit\u00a0at FIFA Fan Festival\u2122\u00a0Houston where visitors can learn how research aboard the International Space Station benefits life on Earth\u00a0and\u00a0experience missions in low Earth orbit, the Moon,\u00a0and\u00a0beyond\u00a0through the Artemis program.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On June 11, as the FIFA World Cup begins, NASA\u2019s exhibit at Fan Festival Houston will open to the public.\u00a0The\u00a0event\u00a0is free\u00a0to\u00a0attend\u00a0and\u00a0open for every match of the\u00a0tournament in East Downtown, Houston.\u00a0On June 20,\u00a0Johnson\u00a0Space\u00a0Center Director Vanessa Wyche will introduce\u00a0select\u00a0Artemis II\u00a0crew\u00a0members\u00a0following their\u00a0historic mission around\u00a0the Moon. The crew will\u00a0participate\u00a0in World Cup activities ahead of the Netherlands-Sweden match in Houston\u00a0and\u00a0will appear on the Fan Festival Houston main stage to share their experience with fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The connection between NASA and\u00a0the World Cup goes beyond\u00a0the exhibit floor, reaching\u00a0all the way to orbit.\u00a0NASA spinoff technologies\u00a0are innovations developed for space exploration that go on to shape commercial products and\u00a0everyday life \u2013\u00a0even\u00a0on the soccer field.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more than\u00a025 years,\u00a0research aboard the International Space Station has enabled breakthroughs in science, technology, and human health while advancing innovations that\u00a0benefit\u00a0people on Earth. That\u00a0work\u00a0includes\u00a0studies that improve\u00a0understanding of the aerodynamics and physics involved in\u00a0soccer ball flight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In partnership with the ISS National Laboratory\u00a0in 2019, researchers used the station\u2019s microgravity environment to study how a soccer ball\u2019s internal mass affects its motion, stability, and rotation. The findings have improved understanding of how embedded technologies, including match-ball sensors, can influence performance during play.\u00a0The research contributed to studies used in the development and evaluation of soccer balls for major international tournaments, including FIFA World Cup competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Understanding the relationship between an object\u2019s center of mass and\u00a0its geometric center is key to predicting how free-flying objects move, including spacecraft, satellites, and\u00a0aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since 2022, Adidas has embedded electronics inside official match balls used in major\u00a0tournaments. The sensors track speed, position, and\u00a0contact in real time to support officiating and\u00a0broadcast technology. But those sensors also add mass in specific locations inside the ball, and\u00a0uneven mass distribution can affect how a ball moves through the air.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The space-based research has helped improve understanding of how internal mass, including embedded sensors, can influence stability\u00a0and\u00a0rotation in real-world\u00a0playing conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This work builds on earlier research into how spinning objects behave in microgravity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Engineers at NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California tested Adidas\u2019 Brazuca ball, developed for the\u00a02014 FIFA World Cup,\u00a0in wind\u00a0tunnel conditions at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.\u00a0Researchers studied aerodynamic behavior, including how low-spin kicks can produce \u201cknuckling,\u201d where the ball moves unpredictably due to unstable airflow across the seams. NASA engineers measured the speeds and\u00a0flow conditions where this effect was most pronounced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adjustments in panel shape, seam depth, and\u00a0surface texture can influence flight consistency, helping\u00a0determine\u00a0whether a ball curves, dips, or holds its line during play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, NASA and\u00a0Adidas are presenting that science through a\u00a0STEMonstration\u00a0that compares how differently balanced soccer balls spin and\u00a0move in microgravity.\u00a0The experiment shows how the same physics that\u00a0governs\u00a0motion in space also shape the game millions watch on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through research aboard the International Space Station and technology developed for exploration, NASA continues to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0how discoveries made for space can\u00a0benefit\u00a0people on Earth\u2014including athletes and fans\u00a0participating\u00a0in the world\u2019s most popular sport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watch the soccer ball\u00a0STEMonstration\u00a0video:\u00a0<\/p>\n \n