Technology and Science06 February, 20262 min read
NASA Allows Astronauts to Carry iPhones on Artemis II Lunar Flyby
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
NASA approved astronauts to carry modern smartphones, including iPhones, on upcoming missions. Approval covers Crew-12 to the ISS and the Artemis II lunar flyby missions.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Smartphones Approved for NASA Missions
NASA approved a change to allow astronauts to carry modern smartphones, including iPhones, on upcoming government-led missions, starting with Crew-12 to the International Space Station and extending to the Artemis II lunar flyby.
“NASA will allow astronauts to carry modern smartphones, including iPhones, on upcoming missions — beginning with Crew-12 trips to the ISS and extending to the Artemis II lunar flyby — a change announced by Jared Isaacman.”
Jared Isaacman announced the policy shift, which outlets report applies to both the near-term ISS flight and the high-profile Artemis II mission, marking a visible break from past practices that restricted crew devices to heavily qualified hardware.
Consumer device flight qualifications
Officials and outlets stress that any consumer device must still pass safety and performance checks before flight. Reporting notes requirements such as radiation characterisation, battery and thermal behaviour, vibration testing and outgassing assessments.
No specific iPhone model has been named yet. Historically, frequent annual phone updates complicated qualification, with older missions relying on much older camera gear like a 2016 DSLR.
Mission coverage variations
The timing and operational context vary slightly across the coverage. Orbital Today gives a specific internal-approval date of 6 February 2026 and reports that Crew-12 is launching 'next week'.
“On 6 February 2026 NASA approved allowing astronauts to carry smartphones on two upcoming government-led missions: Crew-12 (to the International Space Station), launching next week, and Artemis II, the agency’s first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo, now delayed to March after a hydrogen leak.”
Orbital Today also notes that Artemis II has been delayed to March after a hydrogen leak. Other outlets, including International Business Times UK and South China Morning Post, emphasize the two missions, Crew-12 to the ISS and the Artemis II lunar flyby, but do not foreground the leak or the precise approval date in the same way.
Media framing of smartphone use
Outlets differ in how they frame the purpose and beneficiaries of allowing smartphones. International Business Times UK depicts the change as part of a push to modernize, reduce 'requirement bloat,' speed technology approvals, and aid science, operations, and public engagement.
South China Morning Post frames the deployment as an opportunity to document and share images and video for families and the public and ties the move to Jared Isaacman's plan to leverage private-sector firms. Orbital Today largely reports the administrative clearance and the announcement channel.
Reporting focus differences
Taken together, the reporting shows a policy shift toward faster qualification of modern consumer hardware while preserving safety checks. Different outlets emphasized varying focal points: technical testing and historical context (International Business Times UK), passenger-facing imagery and private-sector partnerships (South China Morning Post), and the administrative timeline along with a noted Artemis II delay (Orbital Today). Where details differ—for example the explicit mention of a hydrogen leak and a 6 February approval date—those elements appear in Orbital Today’s coverage but not in the other snippets, indicating some ambiguity in what each outlet prioritized in short-form reporting.
“Historically, frequent annual phone updates made qualification difficult, and older missions relied on much older camera gear (e.g., a 2016 DSLR), so this policy signals willingness to assess current models on an expedited timeline while maintaining safety protocols.”