NASA’s Artemis II crew is making history not just by flying around the Moon, but by doing so with the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max models aboard the Orion spacecraft.
Launched on April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center, the four-person crew — Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen — is on a roughly 10-day mission to test systems for future lunar landings. For the first time on a crewed deep-space mission, NASA has fully qualified and equipped each astronaut with a personal iPhone 17 Pro Max for capturing photos, videos, and personal moments during the journey.
NASA provided the silver iPhones during the crew’s pre-launch quarantine in March, marking a policy shift that now allows modern smartphones on missions like Artemis II (and recent ISS Crew-12 flights). The devices have undergone rigorous testing to ensure they can handle the rigors of space, including radiation, vacuum conditions, and zero-gravity antics — think floating iPhones being tossed around the cabin, as seen in early mission videos.
NASA astronauts are given silver iPhone 17 Pro Max for the Artemis II flight!
The same phone we use could be used to take pictures of the Moon
Look at how it’s floating in zero gravity, this could be the ultimate Shot on iPhone commercial 😭 pic.twitter.com/gQzrR6miDP
— Shishir (@ShishirShelke1) April 2, 2026
Why the iPhone 17 Pro Max?The iPhone 17 Pro Max, released in September 2025, brings serious upgrades that make it suitable for this extraordinary environment: improved battery life, powerful cameras, and robust performance in a sleek titanium design. While the Orion spacecraft is packed with specialized cameras like GoPros and Nikons for official documentation, the iPhones serve as personal tools for the astronauts — letting them snap candid shots, document daily life in microgravity, and capture unique perspectives without relying solely on mission hardware.
This view just hits different 🌍
@Astro_Christina and @astro_reid take a moment to look back at Earth as they continue deep into space toward the Moon. pic.twitter.com/NMDeLj256K— NASA (@NASA) April 4, 2026
Early results are already stunning. NASA has shared breathtaking photos taken with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, including images of Earth viewed through the Orion’s windows on April 2, credited directly to the astronauts (with metadata pointing to the device’s front camera in some cases). Commander Wiseman and Koch appear in several, gazing back at our blue planet from hundreds of thousands of miles away. The “Shot on iPhone” watermark has never looked more epic.
The approval process involved multiple phases of environmental testing to confirm the phones wouldn’t interfere with spacecraft systems or fail under extreme conditions. It’s a testament to how far consumer electronics have come — your pocket-sized powerhouse is now Moon-qualified.
Past astronauts relied on bulky cameras or limited personal items; now, the Artemis II crew can document their once-in-a-lifetime voyage with the same device millions use daily on Earth. No cellular service or internet, of course — the phones are essentially high-end cameras and notepads in deep space — but the freedom to capture authentic moments adds a personal touch to humanity’s return to lunar vicinity.
As the crew continues its journey, including a planned lunar flyby, expect more incredible imagery “Shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max” to emerge. It’s a fun reminder that as we push the boundaries of exploration, the tools that accompany us are evolving too — sometimes right from the latest flagship lineup.
Whether you’re an Apple fan, a space enthusiast, or both, the sight of iPhones floating alongside the Moon is pure 21st-century magic. Here’s to the Artemis II crew and the tiny supercomputers helping them tell their story!
MacDailyNews Take: When your photos are once-in-a-lifetime, only the best will do: iPhone 17 Pro Max.
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Can’t wait to see space capsule consoles that support RocketPlay.
Best wishes to Artemis crew and their Apple Devices for successful mission.