CSA Astronaut Jeremy Hansen uses an iPhone 17 Pro Max during the Artemis II mission. | Image by NASA
The same iPhone 17 Pro Max that millions use to take photos of their lunch just captured something a little more impressive: planet Earth, as seen from outer space.
NASA just dropped the first iPhone photos from the Artemis II mission
Screenshot from Flickr album page of one of the Artemis II earth shots revealing the camera and lens used. | Image by NASA
NASA shared three photos taken aboard the Artemis II spacecraft, all shot on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The images show Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch looking back at Earth through the Orion capsule's cabin windows. According to Flickr metadata, the photos were captured on April 2, just the second day of the mission.
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Now, here's a fun detail. These were taken with the phone's front-facing selfie camera, not the rear triple-camera system.
The astronauts were literally taking selfies with our entire planet as their backdrop. Not the most technically demanding use of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's camera hardware, but possibly the most emotionally powerful.
The iPhone is sharing the frame with some serious equipment
Selfies taken from space with Planet Earth as the backdrop. | Images by NASA
As we covered in our earlier story, each of the four crew members was equipped with their own iPhone 17 Pro Max for personal photos and videos. These aren't the only cameras aboard the Orion, though. NASA's primary mission photography relies on professional gear like the Nikon D5, Nikon Z 9, and GoPro HERO4 Black, and every other mission photo shared so far came from those.
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That context matters. The iPhone isn't replacing dedicated space photography equipment, and nobody's claiming it should. But a consumer phone producing images this compelling from beyond Earth's orbit speaks volumes about where smartphone cameras stand today.
Why these photos hit differently than anything NASA has shared before
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed lunar mission since 1972, and the crew reached the far side of the Moon today, breaking the record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. That alone makes this historic. But having everyday consumer tech along for the ride brings a sense of accessibility that previous missions never had.
When Apollo astronauts captured Earth from space in the 1960s and 70s, they used specialized Hasselblad cameras that cost a fortune and required serious training. Now, astronauts are using the same phone you probably have in your pocket.
It should be noted that Apple didn't pay for this. NASA independently cleared the iPhone 17 Pro Max for extended use beyond Earth orbit after putting it through a rigorous four-phase qualification process.
The view from 250,000 miles puts things in perspective
I've been glued to Artemis II coverage since launch, and seeing these photos stopped me in my tracks. There's something about looking at our planet from that distance that recalibrates how you think about everything down here. Earth looks impossibly beautiful, fragile, and small all at once.
I can't wait to see what comes back as the crew gets closer to the Moon, even though they won't be landing this time (that's Artemis III, and we're waiting until 2028 for that). For now, I'm just grateful we get to glimpse the lunar surface through the same lens we use to FaceTime our families. That's pretty incredible.
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Johanna 'Jojo the Techie' is a skilled mobile technology expert with over 15 years of hands-on experience, specializing in the Google ecosystem and Pixel devices. Known for her user-friendly approach, she leverages her vast tech support background to provide accessible and insightful coverage on latest technology trends. As a recognized thought leader and former member of #TeamPixel, Johanna ensures she stays at the forefront of Google services and products, making her a reliable source for all things Pixel and ChromeOS.
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