NASA Loosens Rules, Lets Astronauts Take iPhones To Moon

Enkhtulga Khandsuren/Shutterstock

It takes a lot of essential technology to get astronauts into space, let alone land them safely on the Moon. But why not let them bring some less crucial yet still worthwhile tech into space? That seems to be NASA’s new outlook, as it has reduced restrictions on mobile devices venturing beyond the Earth’s surface. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman revealed on X that astronauts will now be allowed to bring modern smartphones on the next expeditions to space and beyond, allowing for an unprecedented level of documentation.

“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. NASA astronauts will be taking iPhones with them, but the agency may approve other smartphones in the future. No matter the phone, NASA’s astronauts likely won’t take photographs as remarkable as those taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, but these smartphone cameras will surely capture some breathtaking sights in space, all the same.

If nothing else, they’ll likely secure better snaps than the gear previously approved for the Artemis II lunar mission: a 2016 Nikon DSLR and GoPros that were considered top-of-the-line 10 years ago. All in all, this is pretty historic news. Surprisingly, though, the matter of iPhones going to space isn’t as significant as what had to be done to get them…

Source