Yes, it’s true! SpaceX has allowed their astronauts to bring a portable smartphone of their choice on missions, according to a post made on the popular social media site X. It is said that the project will “Begin with SpaceX Crew-12 and Artemis II. The Crew-12 mission is set to launch no earlier then March 6th, and a count of four astronauts will be on board the spaceship. The Artemis II mission will launch in late March. Originally, the launch was supposed to be on February 2nd, but it was pushed back an issue with the rocket’s fueling system. This mission is supposed to transport the four astronauts on a 10 day trip around the moon and back. This is a test launch to make sure the rocket performs as well as it should. If all goes well, other rockets will follow the same course and land on the moon.
NASA is the one who approved the proposal of smartphones on the mission, and for a good reason too. The smartphones are supposed to provide a way to capture special moments over 200,000 miles away. The camera is also supposed to provide a more immersive feel, like being on the space station for people back on earth. Former pilot and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman explained that they are “giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world.”
Ars Techinca, a technology news company, has reported that the current way to capture video on the space station is a 2016 Nikon DSLR camera, as well as some personal GoPro cameras. The smartphone will supposedly be better because it captures sights from the astronaut’s point of view.
The change is crucial because ever since the first space mission, Sputnik 1, having valid images was a must in space travel. This is because the whole point in going to outer space is to learn what’s out there. The only way to actually see what’s out there was cameras attached to the space shuttle, until now.
Works Cited:
bio, See full. “Astronauts Can Now Use the Latest Smartphones in Space.” CNET, 2026, www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/latest-smartphones-now-allowed-in-space-nasa-says/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
MyBib Contributors. “MLA Citation Generator – Easy & Free – (8th Edition, 2019).” MyBib, 26 May 2019, www.mybib.com/tools/mla-citation-generator.
Berger, Eric. “NASA Will Finally Allow Astronauts to Bring Their IPhones to Space.” Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2026, arstechnica.com/space/2026/02/nasa-will-finally-allow-astronauts-to-bring-their-iphones-to-space/.
