NASA

Other

American·b. 1958·Website ↗

Known for:

spaceflight photography; selecting and flight-qualifying off-the-shelf cameras for crewed missions, from Hasselblads on Apollo to Nikon DSLRs on Artemis II

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the United States civil space agency, established in 1958. Beyond its science and engineering work, NASA has shaped spaceflight photography for more than six decades, qualifying consumer and professional cameras to survive launch loads, vacuum, thermal extremes, and cosmic radiation. Apollo crews famously carried modified Hasselblad 500EL bodies; the International Space Station has flown with Nikon DSLRs and the Nikon Z9 mirrorless system; and the Artemis II crew is taking 32 imaging devices to lunar orbit, anchored by two Nikon D5 DSLRs with a last-minute Z9 added to study how deep-space radiation affects its sensor, alongside roughly 28 GoPro HERO4 Black units mounted to Orion's solar array wings and inside the cabin, plus four iPhone 17 Pro Max.

NASA's Gear List(7)

Nikon D5

Nikon

Connection Source

PetaPixelWebsite

Connection note

Two Nikon D5 bodies are aboard Orion as the primary stills cameras for Artemis II. PetaPixel: "The Nikon D5 remains the camera of choice for the Artemis II mission and will be assigned primary photographic duties."

Product description

Nikon's 2016 flagship full-frame DSLR. 20.8MP CMOS sensor, ISO range expandable to 3,280,000, 12 fps continuous shooting, and 4K video. Selected by NASA as the primary stills camera for Artemis II thanks to its low-noise high-ISO performance and proven radiation resistance on the ISS.

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Last updated April 8, 2026

Nikon Z9

Nikon

Connection Source

PetaPixelWebsite

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A single Nikon Z9 was added to the Artemis II manifest at the last minute, specifically to study how the deep-space radiation environment affects its sensor. Used around sunrise/sunset for the solar corona.

Product description

Nikon's flagship full-frame mirrorless. 45.7MP stacked CMOS sensor, fully electronic shutter, 8K video, and dual CFexpress slots. A single Z9 was added to the Artemis II manifest at the last minute to study how the deep-space radiation environment affects its sensor.

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Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Nikon

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Red Shark NewsWebsite

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EXIF data from the mission's "Hello World" Earth portrait confirms a Nikon D5 with the 14-24mm f/2.8 lens, shot at f/4, 1/4s, ISO 51,200.

Product description

Wide-angle F-mount zoom, long considered a benchmark ultra-wide. Used on the Artemis II Nikon D5 to capture the mission's "Hello World" Earth portrait at f/4, 1/4s, ISO 51,200.

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Nikon AF NIKKOR 35mm f/2D

Nikon

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Backcountry GalleryWebsite

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Listed in the Backcountry Gallery forum's breakdown of the Artemis II Nikon kit alongside the 14-24mm and 80-400mm lenses.

Product description

Compact F-mount 35mm prime introduced in the 1990s. Carried aboard Artemis II as part of the Nikon D5 lens kit.

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Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR

Nikon

Connection Source

Backcountry GalleryWebsite

Connection note

Designated as the primary telephoto for the lunar flyby. Backcountry Gallery: "They plan to use a D5 with the 80-400mm lens as the primary lens for the bulk of the flyby."

Product description

F-mount super-telephoto zoom with VR stabilization. Designated as the primary telephoto for Artemis II's lunar flyby imaging, paired with the Nikon D5.

GoPro

Connection note

TBPN Digest: "The external cameras are heavily ruggedized versions of the GoPro Hero 4 Black, a nine-year-old platform locked into the project at its inception." Four units mounted on Orion's solar array wings, plus handhelds inside the cabin for a National Geographic documentary.

Product description

2014-era action camera shooting 4K at 30 fps with a 12MP CMOS sensor. NASA flew heavily ruggedized HERO4 Black units on Artemis II, with four mounted to Orion's solar array wings and additional handhelds for a National Geographic documentary. The platform was locked into the project at its inception.

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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

Apple

Connection Source

GizmodoWebsite

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Four iPhone 17 Pro Max handsets stowed aboard for personal use; the crew has used the front-facing camera primarily for in-cabin selfies during the lunar flyby.

Product description

Apple's 2025 flagship smartphone. Four units were stowed aboard Artemis II for personal use by the crew, who used the front-facing camera primarily for in-cabin selfies during the lunar flyby.

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