NASA has released three stunning photos captured by astronauts during the Artemis II mission using the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The images show Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch gazing at Earth through the Orion spacecraft's cabin window. Flickr data reveals these were taken with the front camera on April 2, marking the second day of the historic mission.

In February, NASA announced the iPhone 17 Pro Max had been fully qualified for extended use in orbit, with each of the four crew members equipped with one for personal photography. This represents a significant milestone in consumer technology adoption for space missions. While most official mission photos continue to be captured with professional equipment like the Nikon D5, Nikon Z 9, and GoPro HERO4 Black, these iPhone images demonstrate the device's capability in extreme environments.

The Artemis II mission marks NASA's first crewed lunar mission since 1972. The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to reach the far side of the Moon on Monday, potentially breaking the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans. The mission will conclude with the crew's return on April 10, though Orion cannot land on the lunar surface.