Yes, they can see stars, but not as easily as you might think.
* The Earth's atmosphere is a huge factor. From Earth, the atmosphere scatters light, making the sky appear blue and obscuring fainter stars. In space, there's no atmosphere, so the sky is black and stars are much more visible.
* Sunlight is a big problem. During daylight, even in space, the sun is so bright that it's difficult to see stars. Astronauts have to use special filters or wait for night to see them.
* The International Space Station (ISS) is illuminated. The ISS itself is brightly lit, making it hard to see faint stars.
* Spacewalks are particularly challenging. The glare from the Earth and the sun makes it very difficult to see stars during a spacewalk.
So, while astronauts can see stars in space, it's not as easy as it might seem. They have to be in the right conditions (nighttime, away from the ISS's lights, etc.) and often need to use special tools to see them.
Here's a fun fact: Astronauts have reported seeing a vast number of stars in space, more than they could ever imagine seeing from Earth.
