Here on Earth, it's an act that seems to be second nature now — if you see something cool, you can whip out your smartphone and take a quick photo. But for the Artemis II crew currently on the return leg of their historic lunar fly-by April 6, the imagery they've captured — including a solar eclipse and an 'Earthset' below the lunar horizon — has called for a range of lenses.
Orion carries an array of fixed and portable cameras on board that range from sophisticated navigational lenses to consumer-grade cameras that give mission control — and the public — a glimpse into what the astronauts are seeing outside and inside the spacecraft.
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The cameras include an array of 15 vehicle-mounted lenses, plus more than a dozen portable optical systems that include DSLR cameras, portable tablets with webcams, video encoders and GoPro cameras. Each astronaut also carries an iPhone 17s for photos and video (but no internet connectivity).
