Posted on 02/08/2026 3:23:19 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
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On spaceship mode?
That’s fine. I’m curious if they would still work or not.
Now they can still receive sales calls
Finally, China is in space!
Chinese parts in those cell phones?
what could possibly go wrong?
Beep-Beep . . .
“On spaceship mode?”
Very good.
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.
Will they play Space Invaders?
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.
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.
Now they cane space walk into a post.
-PJ
Classic.
Good one!👍🏻
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.
Is that Lunar Lander by Atari?
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