NASA is officially allowing astronauts to bring smartphones into space, marking a major change in how missions are documented.
The new policy will begin with the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station and continue with the upcoming Artemis II mission, which will carry humans around the Moon for the first time in decades.
Crew-12 is scheduled to launch soon and will travel to the International Space Station. Artemis II, meanwhile, has been delayed until March but remains one of NASA’s most important missions, as it will send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time since the 1960s.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the decision is about giving astronauts better tools to capture meaningful moments. In a post on X, he explained that smartphones will help crews share personal experiences with their families and also provide inspiring photos and videos for the public.
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. Just as important, we challenged long-standing…
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 5, 2026
Allowing modern iPhones and Android devices means astronauts can take photos and videos more quickly and naturally than before. Until now, NASA relied mainly on older Nikon DSLR cameras and GoPros, which, while reliable, are far less flexible than smartphones. With phones, crews can capture spontaneous moments, wide-angle shots, and even short videos in zero gravity.
The move is also notable because NASA approved the change faster than usual. Space missions typically require years of testing before any new hardware is cleared for flight. Isaacman said NASA challenged long-standing procedures and qualified modern consumer devices on an accelerated timeline, calling it an important step toward improving future science and research missions in orbit and on the Moon.
Although this is a first for NASA’s government missions, smartphones have been to space before. SpaceX previously allowed smartphones on its private astronaut flights, showing that consumer technology can safely operate in space when properly prepared.
If this article helped you, please consider supporting our work. Every small contribution keeps Abijita.com independent and running.
With astronauts now carrying smartphones, upcoming missions could become some of the most visually documented journeys in NASA’s history—bringing space a little closer to Earth than ever before.
