The crew is using the D5 as proven technology and introducing the Z9 for future standard use.
Artemis II crew using Nikon D5 and Z9
- Thread starter AlanF
- Start date
Not so much "introducing the Nikon Z 9 for future standard use" but testing it for deep space use. It's already certified for Low Earth Orbit use and is the standard camera for use on the International Space Station. Additionally, last year Nikon and NASA entered into an agreement for Nikon to produce modified Nikon Z 9 bodies for lunar surface use including glove-friendly controls and dust shielding. That program is called Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC).
Upvote
0
It says in the linked Petapixel article: They will be testing the camera, as the Z9 will be the backbone of the next-generation Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) used on future Artemis missions, including Artemis III, when humans will step foot on the Moon for the first time since 1972.
Thanks for the additional information on the background.
Thanks for the additional information on the background.
Upvote
0
Canon could have sent an R5 mkII and R1 to NASA with 2-3 lenses. Talk about good PR. They missed the boat.
Upvote
0
Not quite accurate. The next lunar mission will be Artemis IV currently scheduled for 2028. The delays in SpaceX' developing their HLS lander, the Orbital Depot and the refueling tankers, all contracted to be tested in a lunar flight in early 2024 and none of which have had any public progress have caused the missions to shift. Artemis III is now an Earth Orbit mission to test docking the Orion capsule with the HLS lander and to test compatibility of the National Team's Blue Moon 2 lander's docking collar. Blue Moon 2 is the backup lander authorized when HLS missed its second deadline. It's currently slated to go to the moon on Artemis V but it could be the lander for Artemis IV if SpaceX misses their deadlines again and the National Team is ready before SpaceX despite starting three years later.
Upvote
0
Remember that Nikon has over half a century's experience in space. They've been providing NASA with space cameras since 1971 during the Apollo program and have been the standard cameras on Apollo (Command Module, not Lunar Module), Apollo/Soyuz, the Shuttle, Skylab and the International Space Station. It's rumored that all the major vendors do submit proposals every time a new camera is called for but fifty years' experience gives Nikon an edge in knowing what is needed and how to build and deliver it.
However, the embarrassing one was that some Sony fans released a fake press release that Sony had been chosen as the new Artemis camera complete with photos of executives, fake quotes and a photo of a Sony camera on a lunar-like background as an April Fools post. It actually got believed by some news sources.
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Similar threads
