Get ready for some selfies that are out of this world. NASA astronauts will be allowed to bring their personal smartphones to space for the first time, starting with the upcoming Crew-12 and Artemis II missions.
Crew-12 is expected to head to the International Space Station next week. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Artemis II mission, which will bring humans around the moon for the first time since the 1960s, is now scheduled for March.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman explained the decision, stating that the agency is giving crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world. With the newest iPhones and Android devices at hand, the crews will be able to be more spontaneous with image and video gathering. This means for those of us back home, these upcoming trips to space could end up being some of NASA’s most well-documented journeys yet.
Imagine astronauts turning themselves into TikTok stars in zero gravity, or taking ultra-wide-angle selfies inside the spacecraft. For those within NASA, it is equally exciting that the agency approved this rule change relatively quickly. Isaacman noted that challenging long-standing processes and qualifying modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline represents an operational urgency that will serve NASA well as it pursues high-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface.
It has historically been difficult to approve new technology for spaceflight, where one small failure can have serious consequences. Until now, the newest cameras approved for these missions were decade-old Nikon DSLRs and GoPros. While not archaic, there is something more spontaneous and whimsical about using a smartphone.
This is not, however, the first time smartphones have gone to space. SpaceX has previously allowed smartphones on its private astronaut missions.