NASA Astronauts Have Brought Their Phones to Space for the First Time

Feb 17, 2026

Matt Growcoot

Three astronauts in blue shirts smile and pose for a selfie inside a spacecraft, surrounded by control panels, screens, and technical equipment. Bright light comes through the windows behind them. — Awkward selfies like this one, taken on a Nikon D5 and a 16mm lens, is now a thing of the past on board the ISS.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 safely docked with the International Space Station on Valentine’s Day (Saturday) and the astronauts brought something unique with them: their smartphones.

While it’s a device found in almost every person’s pocket on the planet, astronauts were not allowed to bring their phones with them to space until now.

The policy change was announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who writes on X: “We are giving 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,” he continues. “That operational urgency will serve NASA well as we pursue the highest-value science and research in orbit and on the lunar surface. This is a small step in the right direction.”

The Artemis II crew, who are hoping to blast off to the Moon’s vicinity in the coming weeks, will also be taking their iPhones and Androids with them.

Four astronauts in white SpaceX spacesuits stand side by side, smiling and posing for a photo outside a NASA building. Several people in blue uniforms stand in the background near NASA signs. — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members, pictured, have brought their phones to the ISS.

The Crew-12 astronauts who have just arrived on the ISS will have access to plenty of photography equipment, including Nikon Z9s and a host of lenses. But as everyone knows, smartphone cameras are incredibly convenient and have gotten very good.

Astronauts who have lived on the ISS, such as Don Pettit, have said previously that it’s easy to miss a great shot as the spacecraft hurtles around the Earth at 17,500 miles per hour. While smartphone cameras don’t compare to full-frame cameras for quality, they’re certainly more convenient.

Smartphones will also offer slightly different perspectives. Most people would take up the chance to snap a selfie in the space station’s cupola module as Earth dazzles behind. The ultra-wide cameras and quick access to video should also enhance the imagery that the public sees from the ISS.

A rocket launches into the night sky, surrounded by tall support towers. Bright flames and smoke billow from the base, illuminating the scene against the dark backdrop. — Crew-12 launch on Friday.

The astronauts on board the ISS should also be able to log on to the station’s Wi-Fi, which has speeds of up to 600 megabits per second, so they can share photos and videos from space.

For the Artemis II astronauts, their smartphone will be the most modern camera they have on their person, as it appears the only other cameras the crew is bringing are Nikon D5s (PetaPixel is currently investigating).

Image credits: NASA