NASA has officially updated its personal technology policy, allowing astronauts to bring modern smartphones specifically iPhones on future missions. The announcement was made on February 5, 2026, by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and represents a major departure from the agency’s traditionally conservative hardware approval process.
The new policy will debut on SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for February 11, 2026, followed by Artemis II, NASA’s historic crewed lunar flyby mission planned for March 2026. According to Isaacman, the move is designed to help astronauts “capture special moments for their families” while also sharing powerful images and videos that inspire people on Earth.
Until now, NASA crews relied on aging equipment for photography and documentation. For Artemis II, the newest approved cameras were reportedly 2016 Nikon DSLRs and decade-old GoPros. By qualifying modern smartphones, NASA is enabling astronauts to use lightweight, high-quality devices that outperform much of the legacy hardware still flying in space today.
This decision is particularly significant because of NASA’s traditionally slow and rigorous hardware qualification process. Spaceflight devices must withstand extreme radiation, vibration during launch, and vacuum exposure requirements that typically take years to certify. Isaacman described the approval of iPhones as a challenge to NASA’s “long-standing processes,” signaling a broader shift toward faster adoption of commercial technology.
Apple confirmed that this is the first time the iPhone has been fully qualified for extended operational use in orbit and beyond. While astronauts will carry their own smartphones, they won’t rely on cellular networks. Instead, images and videos will still be transmitted using NASA’s Deep Space Network and existing spacecraft communication systems, as lunar 4G and 5G infrastructure is not expected until Artemis III.
Although this marks the first official approval for personal astronaut use, iPhones have flown in space before. In 2011, two iPhone 4 devices were sent to the International Space Station aboard the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135, to run research applications. More recently, private astronauts on commercial missions like Polaris and Axiom have carried smartphones, though without full NASA certification for routine crew operations.
NASA’s move reflects a broader modernization strategy as human spaceflight enters a new era of commercial partnerships and deep-space exploration. By embracing consumer technology like smartphones, the agency aims to improve crew experience, enhance mission documentation, and bring space exploration closer to the public than ever before.
As Artemis missions prepare to return humans to the Moon, astronauts capturing the journey on iPhones could redefine how space exploration is shared with the world.
