NASA's return to the Moon for the first time in over half a century is historic for a number of reasons, yet the use of a certain piece of equipment has allowed astronauts to share unprecedented access to the depths of space with the world.
The popularization of smartphones has allowed people to dramatically increase the number of photos they take on a daily basis, as they've got a more-than-capable camera in their pocket at all times.
Snaps aren't just reserved for photographers or when you're traveling, as you can whip out your phone at any point to capture what's in front of you no matter how beautiful or uninteresting it might be.
One perhaps unintended consequence of this is how it also integrates into space travel, as the 53 years between now and Apollo 17 – the last time astronauts visited the Moon – have witnessed a number of major technological improvements.
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While many of the most iconic space photographs throughout history were captured on medium format Hasselblad cameras, modern camera technology allows for a far greater number of images to be captured with a wider flexibility too.
Official live streams of the Artemis launch have left a lot to be desired, but some of the most impressive images shared from the ongoing Artemis 2 mission, however, have been captured by the iPhone 17 Pro cameras owned by the astronauts themselves, perhaps because they lend a more human perspective to the already-iconic trip.
As reported by the BBC, photos of the mission have been shared to NASA's official Flickr page, and each one provides information regarding the camera and settings that were used to capture the image.
Many have been taken by various Nikon cameras – and they're certainly nothing to scoff at, showing breathtaking views of the Earth and Moon alike – but two in particular have drawn plenty of attention.
Captured of Commander Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch on board the Orion spacecraft, these two photos show the astronauts' silhouetted faces in front of a window looking onto Earth, and its a reminder of how staggering the concept of space travel is in the first place.
"One of the most beautiful images I've ever seen," wrote one gobsmacked commenter underneath Wiseman's photo, whereas another congratulated Koch for "such an amazing photo," adding that it is "truly next level!"
It's not the first photos taken from a smartphone in space – as that feat was achieved from an iPhone 12 on board SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission, shared coincidentally by current NASA administrator Jared Isaacman on X – but it does prove that NASA's recent rule change to allow smartphones on board was definitely worth it.