How iPhones Are Capturing Stunning Space Photos and Lunar Missions

Astronauts aboard the Artemis II mission are utilizing iPhone 17 Pro Max smartphones to document their journey and capture high-resolution imagery of Earth and the moon. The crew members of the Integrity spacecraft are using these devices to record mission objectives and personal moments as they return from their historic arc around the moon.

NASA has officially cleared smartphones for use in space as of February 2026. Within the agency, these devices are formally classified as PCDs, or personal computing devices.

Integrating Consumer Hardware into Lunar Missions

The decision to allow consumer-grade smartphones on the Artemis II mission represents a shift in how NASA enables its crew to communicate and document their experiences. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman indicated that the goal is to provide astronauts with the means to share their journey with a wider audience and their own families.

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

Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

The iPhone 17 Pro Max hardware has been used both for internal documentation within the capsule and for capturing external celestial views. The crew has employed different camera systems on the device to achieve various photographic results depending on the subject and the environment of the spacecraft.

Technical Application of Camera Systems

The crew has leaned on the front-facing cameras to capture selfies and candid moments. Mission Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch both used the front camera to take photos of themselves with views of Earth visible through the spacecraft windows.

The rear camera system, specifically the telephoto lens, has been used for more distant subjects. During a live broadcast as the Integrity spacecraft approached the moon, Commander Wiseman utilized the iPhone’s telephoto camera at 8x zoom to photograph the lunar surface.

This specific image of the moon was captured in a unique manner. Wiseman held the iPhone screen up to one of the spacecraft’s internal mounted video cameras. The resulting image showed the moon’s surface on the phone’s display, framed by the device’s rounded edges and the Dynamic Island cutout, set against the darkness of the unlit cabin.

Mission Context and Documentation

The use of the iPhone 17 Pro Max allows the Artemis II crew to capture the human element of space exploration. Beyond the lunar surface, the devices have been used to document the astronauts working on mission objectives and reflecting on the views of the planet below.

By incorporating these personal computing devices, NASA is augmenting its standard mission imaging with spontaneous, high-quality content that can be beamed back to Earth. This approach allows for a more intimate perspective of the crew’s experience aboard the Integrity spacecraft during its lunar trajectory.