When selecting cameras for a mission, NASA doesn’t just take the manufacturer’s word on performance, instead putting any potential models through the most rigorous testing to ensure they don’t fail astronauts during a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
On the Artemis II mission, which took place in April this year, the primary handheld cameras taken aboard the Orion capsule were the Nikon Z9 mirrorless and Nikon D5 DSLR. However, in the years leading up to the mission, NASA tested a range of other commercial models which, ultimately, didn’t make the cut, but were in the running.
