NASA to let astronauts bring smartphones into space for upcoming missions

ktla ^ | lily dallow

[BenLurkin]

Astronauts headed into orbit — and toward the moon — will soon be able to bring their personal smartphones along for the ride.

NASA announced this week that crews assigned to upcoming missions, including Crew-12 and Artemis II, will be allowed to fly with modern smartphones, marking a shift from longtime rules that required astronauts to leave personal devices behind while living aboard the International Space Station.

In a post on X, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the change is meant to help crews document historic moments and stay connected with loved ones back on Earth.

...

Until now, astronauts have typically relied on agency-issued cameras and equipment rather than personal phones while on long-duration missions.

Isaacman called the decision “a small step in the right direction” as NASA pushes ahead with its next generation of space exploration.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Science
KEYWORDS: iss; jaredisaacman; nasa; smartphonesintospace

[neverevergiveup]

On spaceship mode?

[MAGA2017]

That’s fine. I’m curious if they would still work or not.

[Mark]

Now they can still receive sales calls

[Empire_of_Liberty]

Finally, China is in space!

[Macoozie]

Chinese parts in those cell phones?

what could possibly go wrong?

Beep-Beep . . .

[KingLudd]

“On spaceship mode?”

Very good.

[bmeyer4646]

The cellular network won’t work but WIFI could be made to work if NASA adds an access point and some type of radio link to carry the packet data back to an earth based station with an internet connection. The packet latency would be really bad, about 1.25 seconds each way.

[Salman]

And take selfies? {snicker}

[onceone]

perhaps this has to do with the emerging cellphone capability of the starlink satellites

[I Drive Too Fast]

Will they play Space Invaders?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

https://x.com/i/grok/share/8433cd6efa864730b0e4558d3cc06f13

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) can bring personal cell phones (smartphones like iPhones), and recent policy changes (as of early 2026) have explicitly allowed modern smartphones for missions including Crew-12 to the ISS and Artemis II.

However, they don't function like normal cell phones on Earth because there's no cellular coverage in space.

• No cell service — Regular cellular radios can't connect to ground-based cell towers. The ISS orbits at 400 km altitude and moves at ~28,000 km/h (17,500 mph), so it's far too high and fast for any terrestrial tower to maintain a connection. The cell modem/radio essentially does nothing useful (astronauts typically put phones in airplane mode).

• What they can do instead — Smartphones connect via the ISS's internal Wi-Fi network, which provides internet access routed through NASA's communication system (primarily the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, or TDRS — basically "cell towers in space" for the station). This lets phones work for:
  • Checking/sending email
  • Video calls (e.g., with family via apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, or similar over IP)
  • Voice calls (VoIP / internet-based calling)
  • Browsing the web (with bandwidth limits and scheduling)
  • Taking photos/videos (excellent cameras for capturing Earth views or daily life)
  • Listening to music, podcasts, or other offline media
  • Other apps that don't require cellular data

The ISS has had Wi-Fi and VoIP systems for years (originally on laptops, later tablets, and now increasingly personal devices), so smartphones integrate into that setup for non-mission personal use during off-duty time.

Note that data usage is limited, prioritized for mission needs, and there can be some latency in calls due to the satellite routing (though usually not too bad — often milliseconds to seconds at most).

The phones themselves work fine in the pressurized, temperature-controlled environment of the ISS (no vacuum or extreme cold/heat issues inside), and they've been tested/approved for safety and electromagnetic compatibility.

In short: No bars on the signal indicator, but plenty of useful features via Wi-Fi/internet — basically turning the phone into a fancy tablet/camera/media player with calling capabilities over the station's connection.

[eastsider]

“Astronauts headed into orbit — and toward the moon — will soon be able to bring take their personal smartphones along for the ride.”

[sasquatch]

Now they cane space walk into a post.

[algore]

no, well maybe, but more likely

[Political Junkie Too]

Wow! The roaming charges from every country they overfly every 90 minutes will bankrupt NASA!

-PJ

[BenLurkin]

Classic.

[House Atreides]

Good one!👍🏻

[BipolarBob]

The phones will be hacked and hackers will take command of the spaceship and will send them to the ONE PLACE they were warned to stay away from. Europa.

[I Drive Too Fast]

Is that Lunar Lander by Atari?