32 Cameras Headed to the Moon

America's first crewed lunar mission in over 50 years, Artemis 2, carries 32 cameras in total — 15 mounted on the Orion spacecraft and 17 operated directly by the crew. The images captured by this equipment have already captivated space enthusiasts worldwide.

Why a 10-Year-Old Camera?

What surprises many is that the primary camera is far from cutting-edge. The Nikon D5, a DSLR released in 2016, serves as the crew's main imaging tool. In an era of lighter, more advanced mirrorless cameras, the choice seems counterintuitive — until you consider the mission's demands.

According to industry experts, the answer is straightforward: proven reliability. When traveling farther from Earth than any human before, equipment failure is not an option. The Nikon D5's track record in extreme conditions made it NASA's trusted choice over innovation.

25 Years of Nikon in Space

Nikon's relationship with NASA dates back to 1999, when the Nikon F5 film camera first went aboard the International Space Station (ISS). That partnership has endured through the shift from film to digital, and from DSLR to mirrorless.

Artemis 2 also carries the Nikon Z9, Nikon's flagship mirrorless camera, but only in a test capacity — to evaluate its potential for future missions. The fact that the technically superior Z9 is still in the evaluation phase underscores just how much weight NASA places on proven performance.

Commercial Cameras Reach Lunar Orbit

Supplementing the Nikon lineup are GoPro action cameras and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Lenses include the Nikon 35mm f/2D, Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S, AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8 ED, and Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S.

All of these are consumer-market products available to the general public — a testament to how far commercial camera technology has come.