NASA is officially letting astronauts take iPhones and other modern smartphones into orbit.
The announcement came Wednesday night from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who shared the news on X.
“NASA astronauts will soon fly with the latest smartphones, beginning with Crew-12 and Artemis II. We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world,” Isaacman wrote.
This marks a major shift in NASA’s approach to technology in space, allowing astronauts to capture photos and videos in ways not previously possible.
Smartphones have flown to space before, but with limited use
Two iPhone 4s have flown to space before aboard the final space shuttle mission in 2011, but their use was limited. Now, astronauts will have modern, portable cameras, which could enhance research documentation and public engagement.
- Better visuals: High-quality video and photos during experiments or spacewalks.
- Family connection: Crew members can easily share personal moments.
- Scientific documentation: Quick capture of transient phenomena or unexpected discoveries.
The move isn’t just about cameras
Isaacman emphasized that this is also a push to streamline NASA’s approval process for modern technology.
“Just as important, we challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline. That operational urgency will serve NASA well as we pursue the highest-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface,” he said.
Traditionally, approving devices for space requires extensive testing: radiation tolerance, battery thermal and vacuum tests, outgassing concerns, and vibration tests. Many of these requirements are decades old. Isaacman’s approach encourages NASA teams to reevaluate which requirements are still truly necessary, allowing new tech like smartphones to get onboard faster.
Before this change, the Artemis II mission cameras were mostly a 2016 Nikon DSLR and decade-old GoPros. Now, astronauts will have sleek, portable smartphones for lunar and orbital photography.
A look back: Smartphones in space
- iPhone 4: Flew on the final space shuttle mission in 2011.
- Tablets: ISS crews have used iPads and similar devices for communication and experiments.
- Private missions: Polaris and Axiom missions already saw astronauts using smartphones in orbit.
The Crew-12 and Artemis II missions will be the first official NASA flights with iPhones onboard for both operational and personal use, opening a new era of space photography.
