"With the newest iPhones and Android devices at hand, the crew will be able to be a bit more spontaneous with image and video gathering, meaning that for those of us back home, these upcoming trips to space could end up being some of NASA's most well-documented journeys yet. Imagine how cool (or cringe-worthy) it will be if astronauts turn themselves into TikTok stars in zero gravity, or if they take ultra-wide-angle selfies in the spacecraft."
"It makes sense that it would be hard to approve new technology to go into space - if one small thing is astray, a spaceflight can go terribly wrong. Until now, the newest cameras that were supposed to go on these missions were decade-old Nikon DSLRs and GoPros, according to Ars Technica. That's by no means arcane, but there's something more spontaneous and whimsical about using a smartphone."
"Just as important, we challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline. That operational urgency will serve NASA well as we pursue the highest-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface."
NASA will allow astronauts to bring personal smartphones on Crew-12 and Artemis II missions. Crew-12 is expected to head to the International Space Station next week, and Artemis II was delayed until March. Modern iPhones and Android devices will let crews capture spontaneous images and video, increasing mission documentation and public engagement. The policy update accelerated qualification of modern hardware for spaceflight and aims to support high-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface. Approving new spacecraft technology remains rigorous because small anomalies can imperil missions. Previously carried cameras were older Nikon DSLRs and GoPros.
Read at TechCrunch
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