Artemis II

THE TRAJECTORY OF IPHONE TO THE MOON AND BEYOND WITH NASA MISSIONS

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This April, NASA launched the Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon. This flight marks the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years and represents a critical stepping stone toward future landings. What makes this mission especially unique is a quiet but historic policy shift: NASA has allowed crew members to carry personal smartphones into deep space.

WE HAVE LIFT OFF

While the Orion spacecraft is not designed to touch down on the lunar surface, the crew will fly deep into cislunar space, testing vital systems and gathering data that will shape the next era of human exploration. The four astronauts, NASA's Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are each carrying an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Videos released by NASA show the devices floating freely inside the Orion cockpit as the crew tests them in zero gravity, capturing everything from Earth views to candid moments of life aboard the spacecraft. The decision to bring consumer smartphones on such a high-stakes mission reflects both NASA's growing confidence in modern technology and a desire to humanize the journey for the public.