NASA's Artemis II Mission Relies on 2016 Nikon D5 DSLR for Lunar Photography Despite Newer Options

NASA's Artemis II mission, currently orbiting the Moon, uses a 2016 Nikon D5 DSLR as its primary camera despite having the newer Nikon Z9 aboard. The D5's exceptional low-light performance, with ISO capabilities up to 3,280,000, makes it ideal for capturing the dark lunar surface. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen are photographing the Moon from the Orion spacecraft, with Wiseman capturing images at ISO 51,200. The camera's proven reliability in space's harsh environment outweighed its age. Nikon plans to switch to the Z9 platform for Artemis III with the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera, making this the D5's final mission. The crew recently set a distance record of 252,760 miles from Earth.