NASA’s Artemis II mission is carrying an unexpected piece of consumer tech into orbit. In a video shared on X, an iPhone 17 Pro appeared to be floating inside the Orion spacecraft.
ASA’s Orion spacecraft launched as part of the Artemis II mission. Among the advanced equipment aboard the spacecraft were smartphones. Artemis II aims to orbit the Moon with astronauts and smartphones on board. The collaboration between Apple and NASA was recently approved to explore the iPhone's capabilities beyond Earth.
In February, NASA cleared astronauts to bring smartphones into space as part of its effort to validate commercial technology for extended use in orbit. It didn’t take long for Apple devices to show up.
The NASA footage shows a smartphone placed in an astronaut’s suit pocket before launch. The angle made it difficult to confirm the exact iPhone model. However, another piece of footage shared later showed an iPhone 17 Pro in the Orion cabin.
The floating iPhone featuring Apple’s signature triple-camera design was passed between astronauts in zero gravity. Looking at its design, experts suggested that the model resembles the iPhone 17 Pro series, the one with a silver finish. Another interesting detail spotted in the footage was a black circular patch attached to the phone. As Macworld suggested, the patch was a Velcro attachment.
What was the experience of bringing an iPhone into the spacecraft like? Experts suggest that in zero gravity, objects don’t stay put. For the iPhone, this is no exception either. So astronauts need a Velcro attachment to secure the iPhone from floating away.
Well, this is not the first time an iPhone has gone beyond Earth. Back in 2011, two iPhone 4 units were sent into space with a space shuttle. But those devices were used strictly for experimental purposes and for running specialized apps. These apps were built to help astronauts perform daily onboard tasks.