NASA shares unique Earth photos from Artemis II shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max
Artemis II mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 1, 2026 (collage: RBC-Ukraine)
NASA has begun sharing photos taken by the Artemis II crew during their journey to the Moon. A significant portion of the images was captured using iPhone 17 Pro Max smartphones, according to NASA’s official Journey to the Moon gallery.
Although the Orion spacecraft is equipped with professional cameras (Nikon 2016 models and older GoPros), astronauts are actively using the iPhone 17 Pro Max. These are the first-ever images taken on an Apple smartphone from such a great distance from Earth.
Earth from the Orion spacecraft window (photo: NASA)
Mission equipment usage highlights
Safety: Before the flight, the smartphones underwent a series of tests to ensure the durability of the glass and the absence of any potential hazards for the crew.
Restrictions: The devices are used solely as cameras. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and internet access are completely disabled.
Storage: In microgravity, astronauts attach the smartphones using Velcro, and during launch, one of the devices is kept in a spacesuit pocket.
Most metadata has been removed from the published photos for security reasons, but experts can identify them as iPhone images based on resolution and quality.
The Artemis II crew at work aboard the Orion spacecraft (photo: NASA)
What the astronauts captured
The released images show the crew’s daily life inside the Orion capsule: Commander Reid Wiseman, Christina Cook, and Jeremy Hansen at work. The series also includes views of Earth through the spacecraft’s window, including shots of our planet from the dark side.
The mission is ongoing, and NASA plans to update the gallery with new images as they are transmitted back to Earth.
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