NASA just made a change few would have expected a few years ago. Astronauts will now be allowed to take their phones on space missions. This will apply as early as the upcoming flights—Crew-12 and the highly-anticipated Artemis II mission.
Crew-12 is set to head to the International Space Station soon. But Artemis II is grabbing a bit more attention, as it plans to send people towards the Moon in March. It'll be the first crewed mission in that direction since the 1960s.
According to NASA chief Jared Isaacman, they want to allow astronauts to capture extraordinary moments in a more natural way. On social media platform X, he mentioned that phones will help not only in documenting the mission but also in sharing more personal shots with family and the public. The aim is to deliver more authentic photos and videos than we're used to seeing.
Up until now, astronauts worked with older Nikon DSLRs or GoPro cameras. Phones will allow for quicker responses and more authentic captures, writes Techcrunch.
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. Just as important, we challenged long-standing…
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 5, 2026
This is also quite a big shift in the rules. Approving new tech for space is usually a lengthy and cautious process, since even a tiny malfunction can have serious consequences. However, this time, NASA sped up the process significantly and approved the modern hardware in record time.
