NASA To Allow Smartphones for Upcoming Crew-12 and Artemis II Missions
Astronauts will swap bulky cameras for personal devices, reshaping how spaceflight is documented and shared with Earth.
Summary
- NASA is breaking with decades of hardware conservatism by letting Crew-12 and Artemis II astronauts carry modern smartphones into space for the first time
- The move upgrades outdated camera setups, speeds up the tech-approval pipeline, and signals a broader shift toward using commercial devices in space missions
- Smartphones will help astronauts capture more spontaneous imagery, support mental well-being, and make space exploration feel more human and relatable
NASA’s decision to finally clear modern smartphones for spaceflight marks a new era in how the agency thinks about both technology and storytelling. Starting with the Crew-12 mission to the ISS and the Artemis II lunar flyby, astronauts will be allowed to bring current iPhone and Android devices instead of relying solely on bulky, aging DSLRs and GoPros. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has framed the move as equipping crews with tools to document special moments for their families and share more immediate images and video with the world, while questioning whether long-standing approval rules still make sense when consumer tech has outpaced legacy hardware.
Behind the headline, the smartphone green light is really about challenging NASA’s slow, risk-averse qualification processes. Electronics bound for space typically endure years of radiation testing, thermal checks, vibration trials, and interference analysis, which has left historic missions planning to fly gear designed a decade ago. By fast-tracking smartphones that have already proven themselves on commercial flights and in nanosatellite experiments, NASA is testing a leaner certification model that could open the door for more off-the-shelf components in future missions.
There’s also a strong cultural and human angle baked into the shift. Smartphones are the most familiar devices on the planet, and putting them into the hands of astronauts turns distant missions into something more personal and accessible. Instead of only polished, pre-planned shots, crews will be able to grab quick, intimate visuals from lunar orbit or the ISS, strengthening public connection to Artemis and helping astronauts maintain closer ties with life back on Earth. For a generation raised on phone photography, seeing those same screens framing views of Earth and the Moon underlines just how far everyday tech has come—and where the next wave of space innovation might be heading.
