NASA’s Artemis II Moon Photos Taken on iPhone 17 Pro Max
▼ Summary
– NASA has shared three photos taken on an iPhone 17 Pro Max by astronauts during the Artemis II mission to the Moon.
– The agency had previously qualified the iPhone for extended use in orbit, and each crew member has one for personal photos and videos.
– The specific iPhone photos show crew members looking at Earth through the spacecraft window and were taken with the front camera on the mission’s second day.
– All other mission photos released so far were captured using different camera models, including Nikons and a GoPro.
– Artemis II is the first crewed NASA Moon mission since 1972 and will set a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth before returning.
NASA has released a remarkable set of images from the ongoing Artemis II mission, captured not with specialized space cameras but with a consumer smartphone. The agency shared three photos taken by astronauts using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, showcasing the device’s unexpected role in documenting humanity’s return to lunar exploration. This follows NASA’s official qualification of the iPhone earlier this year for extended use in the space environment, with each of the four Orion crew members reportedly carrying one for personal documentation.
The images feature Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch gazing back at our planet through the spacecraft’s window. According to metadata, these particular shots were taken on April 2, the mission’s second day, using the smartphone’s front-facing camera. This detail highlights the informal, personal perspective the devices are meant to provide, contrasting with the mission’s formal photographic equipment.
To date, all other publicly released visuals from Artemis II have originated from dedicated cameras, including models like the Nikon D5, the Nikon Z 9, and the GoPro HERO4 Black. The inclusion of smartphone photos marks a distinct shift, offering a more intimate glimpse into the crew’s experience alongside the high-fidelity imagery from traditional hardware.
This mission represents a historic milestone as the first crewed journey to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The Orion spacecraft is poised to carry its crew around the far side of the Moon, setting a new record for the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans. While the capsule is not designed for a lunar landing, it will complete its flyby and is scheduled to return to Earth on April 10, concluding this critical test flight.
(Source: MacRumors)
