NASA took a historic leap in human spaceflight with the launch of Artemis II on Thursday. It is the first crewed mission in its Artemis programme and marks the humans’ first return to the vicinity of the Moon for more than five decades. While the spotlight has firmly been on the astronauts, the spacecraft, and the critical mission objectives, a surprising piece of consumer technology is also making the journey beyond Earth’s orbit, the iPhone, in a move that NASA says challenges long-standing processes.
Here are five things to know.
iPhones Aboard Artemis II Mission
- NASA’s First Crewed Moon Mission in Decades: Artemis II is a major milestone for NASA since it marks the first time astronauts will travel beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era. The space agency has sent a crew for a trip around the Moon and back, testing critical systems for future lunar landings under the Artemis programme. Unlike Artemis I, which was an uncrewed test flight, Artemis II carries astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft. The mission aims to validate life-support systems, navigation, and deep space operations, paving the way for Artemis III, which is expected to land humans on the Moon again.
- iPhones Part of the Payload: While NASA has not officially detailed the exact models, visuals from the pre-launch phase revealed iPhone units are included as part of the onboard equipment. The phones were seen being placed in a special pocket within the spacesuits. Post-launch, astronauts were also seen passing the phones around in zero gravity. Details, however, about whether these are specially configured versions of commercially available units remain under wraps.
- Use Cases: According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, the latest smartphones are allowed for the Artemis II mission for the first time in a crewed mission. Their advanced camera systems will capture high-quality images of Earth, the Moon, and onboard activities. Additionally, the crew can “capture special moments for their families” while in space. While not officially confirmed, the onboard iPhones may also be used for documentation and communication within the spacecraft, helping astronauts log mission details more intuitively.
- Increasingly Space-Ready Equipment: Modern smartphones are more capable than ever, which makes them viable for controlled use in space environments. Visuals suggested that one of the handsets is the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It features a heat-forged aluminium unibody enclosure, which, coupled with an IP69-rated build, results in robust build quality to handle the harsh conditions of spaceflight. While iPhones are not designed for the harsh conditions of space in their standard form, Apple, in a statement given to CNET in February, claimed that Artemis II would mark the first time that an iPhone has been “fully qualified for extended use in orbit and beyond.”
- Airplane Mode and Safety Measures: One important consideration is that iPhones aboard Artemis II will likely operate in ***Airplane Mode***, according to reports. This move is said to prevent interference with spacecraft systems. For context, smartphones, including the iPhone, emit radio signals to connect with cellular towers and maintain network connectivity. These could potentially disrupt sensitive onboard instruments, making this a necessary precaution.
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