NASA has revealed the crew of Artemis II will take smartphones to the Moon.
The four-strong crew of the Artemis II mission will be given the latest smartphones to capture footage of their 10 day flight to the moon and back, which is scheduled for launch next month.
Artemis II is due to be the first crewed mission around the Moon since the 1970s. It will be followed by Artemis III, man’s return to the surface of the Moon, in 2027-2028.
Posting on X, the agency said it had “challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline”, equipping the crew with devices to enable them to capture special moments for their families, as well as “inspiring video and images to be shared with the world”.
Marking what NASA called a shift in operational urgency, the policy is seen as a “small step in the right direction”.
Astronauts on Crew-12, the joint NASA/SpaceX project, will become the first to take iPhones and other technology to orbit. Crew-12 is due to launch later this year.
