A New Era for Space Travel: Smartphones in the Cosmos
For those keeping a close eye on NASA’s Artemis II mission, it’s clear that this crew of four astronauts is set to make history in more ways than one. The mission promises to break several barriers, including the first woman, the first Black man, and the first Canadian to travel near the moon. Additionally, all four astronauts will venture farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone before.
These achievements are significant milestones in the annals of space exploration. However, there’s another, less celebrated way in which the Artemis II crew is making history: they’re among the first government astronauts to bring their smartphones into space.
A Policy Shift Allows Smartphones in Space
NASA has recently updated its guidelines, allowing astronauts to take the latest smartphones on board during their missions. This change came into effect ahead of the February launch of the SpaceX Crew-12 mission. As a result, the Artemis II crew is the second group of astronauts to benefit from this policy shift.
The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. All four are carrying smartphones during their 10-day flight around the moon, as confirmed by a NASA spokesperson.
This development follows an announcement by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who shared on social media that astronauts would soon be flying with the latest smartphones. The goal was to challenge long-standing processes regarding the types of hardware and technology deemed safe for space travel.
Enhancing Communication and Documentation
According to the NASA spokesperson, the new policy aims to make it easier for astronauts to document their celestial surroundings and “capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.” The smartphones used by the astronauts have undergone a certification process to ensure they are safe for use during flight.
Prior to this policy change, NASA astronauts had access to off-the-shelf technology such as DSLR cameras, digital camcorders, and tablets for capturing and sharing images and videos from space. The addition of smartphones offers greater flexibility, allowing astronauts to quickly capture informal and organic moments to better share their mission’s story with the world.
A Historic Mission with Significant Implications
The Artemis II mission is not just about breaking records; it also serves as a critical test flight for future lunar landings. While the astronauts won’t land on the moon, their journey will pave the way for potential human landings as early as 2028.
The mission will mark humanity’s first return near the moon since the Apollo era ended in 1972. During their journey, the astronauts will travel farther from Earth than any humans have before, surpassing the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
Victor Glover will become the first Black man to travel near the moon, while Christina Koch will be the first woman, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first Canadian to do so. Their historic flyby is scheduled for Monday, April 6, following an April 1 launch from Florida.
The mission is expected to conclude on Friday, April 10, with a water landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California.
