NASA is finally changing its longstanding policy on what astronauts can take into space. Astronauts flying into space are now allowed to carry smartphones on missions, opening the door to more authentic photos, videos and, yes, even the occasional zero-gravity selfie.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed the change to X and said astronauts would soon fly with the latest smartphones “to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images with the world.”
He added that NASA had challenged long-standing approval processes to qualify modern hardware more quickly, calling it a “small step in the right direction.”
The new policy will come into play on upcoming missions, including Crew-12, which is flying to the International Space Station, and Artemis II, the long-awaited crewed mission that will take humans around the moon.
Imagine the stunning images that astronauts could capture using smartphones powered by cameras on the latest iPhones and Pixels.
Why NASA is now changing course
Previously, astronauts relied on NASA-approved camera equipment to capture images, a process that often lagged far behind consumer technology. In fact, the most recent camera approved for flight on Artemis II before this change was a 2016 Nikon DSLR, along with GoPro cameras that were already nearly a decade old (via Ars Technica).
With smartphones, astronauts finally have access to modern, portable cameras that easily fit into everyday life on a spaceship. Interestingly, this is not the first time that phones have reached orbit. Two iPhone 4 devices flew aboard a space shuttle mission in 2011, although it remains unclear whether they were actively used or simply carried.
The timing of the announcement is consistent with renewed attention for Artemis II. The mission will send four astronauts on a loop around the moon and back. However, the launch of Artemis II was delayed after technical problems occurred during testing, pushing the launch back to March 2026.
If it actually flies, the journey won’t just be historic; It may also be more personally documented than any other lunar mission before.
