Astronauts can now use smartphones in space under new policy: NASA chief

Astronauts are set to be allowed to take and use modern smartphones in space under a new policy, which is slated to come into effect with the SpaceX Crew-12 and Artemis II missions.

NASA did not specify particular phone brands or models to be used in space.

The development was brought to light in a tweet by NASA chief Jared Isaacman earlier this week.

When will Crew-12 mission lift off?

The SpaceX Crew-12 mission is scheduled to launch on February 11, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Meanwhile, NASA's Artemis II mission is scheduled to kick off in March, sending four astronauts on a 10-day flight that will circumnavigate the Moon before returning to Earth.

“We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world,” Isaacman stated.

Will iPhone be used in space missions?

This marks “the first time [the] iPhone has been fully qualified for extended use in orbit and beyond,” CNET cited an Apple representative as saying.

Astronauts were previously restricted to using legacy cameras and older imaging equipment. According to Ars Technica, current space missions primarily go with 2016 Nikon DSLR and GoPro cameras.

Photography has been an integral part of space missions since the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, as the Apollo 11 astronauts, who were the first humans to set foot on the Moon, captured iconic photographs of their historic July 1969 Moon landing using specially modified Hasselblad cameras.

The new NASA policy is expected to enhance the visual documentation of future missions.