NASA Now Allowing Astronauts to Bring Their iPhones on Space Missions - MacRumors
Skip to Content

NASA Now Allowing Astronauts to Bring Their iPhones on Space Missions

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on Wednesday announced that NASA astronauts will soon be permitted to fly with "the latest smartphones," beginning with the SpaceX Crew-12 and Artemis II missions over the next few months.

Apple Event Far Out Banner
In an email, an Apple spokesperson said this will mark the first time the iPhone has been fully qualified for extended use in orbit and beyond.

NASA astronauts were previously not allowed to carry their own personal smartphones on space flights, but they did allow some approved DSLR cameras and other equipment. With smartphones, Isaacman said astronauts will be able to "capture special moments for their families and share inspiring images and video with the world."

It is unclear exactly which iPhone models have been qualified.

Tag: NASA

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...
macbook ultra

MacBook Ultra's New Design Won't Stay Exclusive for Long

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:00 pm PDT by
The touchscreen and the OLED panel have dominated discussion about Apple's next high-end laptop, but the redesign wrapped around them may prove to be an equally consequential change, largely because it is not expected to stay unique to the machine for long. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week laid out Apple's plan to refresh every Mac it sells over the next two years. In the report, he...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...

Top Rated Comments

25 weeks ago
Time for the first ever Shot on iPhone, shot in space.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 weeks ago
Those roaming charges are going to be.....astronomical.....

I'll just show myself out.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
repoman016 Avatar
25 weeks ago
Forget airplane mode. We need to turn on space mode!!!!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
25 weeks ago
But it has to be a Space Gray iPhone.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
25 weeks ago
iPhone 17 Pro Max, compatible with Space 1.05.

EDIT: iPhone Air, not supported.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
25 weeks ago
One small step for man, one giant leap for selfiekind
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)