Apple’s iPhone is going “to the moon, Alice!” The iPhone is going along for the ride on NASA‘s 10-day Artemis II moon orbit mission, not as official equipment of the spacecraft, but as the astronauts’ personal belongings.
Four astronauts are currently five days onto a 10-day mission that includes a fly-by of the Moon, allowing the astronauts to test equipment on future moon missions.
In early February, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that astronauts would be allowed to carry “the latest smartphones” with them into space. Astronauts are now allowed to bring their iPhone (or Android devices, SIGH!).
NASA said the move was meant to give “our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world. Just as important, we challenged long-standing processes and qualified modern hardware for spaceflight on an expedited timeline.”
An Apple spokesperson said the rule change will mark the first time the iPhone has been fully qualified for extended use in orbit and beyond.
When Artemis II launched last Wednesday, iPhone’s were secured safely in crew members’ bright orange Orion survival suits.
While the crew will not be using their personal handsets for any mission critical operations they will use them to capture candid videos and photos all along the way. All critical operations will continue to rely on the spacecraft’s certified avionics and communication systems, which are hardened against the extreme environment of outer space.
The iPhones will not use their own WiFi or 5G systems to connect back home, but will instead use the Orion’s WiFi network, which will then use its own stable connection to transmit back to Earth. While that seems logical, considering the range limitations of both 5G and WiFi, AppleInsider reports that they’ve been asked about that subject on social media.
While there has been no information posted as to which handsets are onboard, pre-launch handling footage shows a device that resembles an iPhone Pro model.
