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Nikon and NASA are putting a mirrorless camera on the Moon

Things can get pretty cold and dusty up there apparently.

The crewed Artemis III mission — which will launch “ no earlier than September 2026 ” — aims to explore the lunar south pole, a region of the Moon that contains water ice within permanently shadowed craters. That makes it an area of scientific interest, but the extreme lighting and temperature conditions pose particular technical challenges for operating equipment within the lunar south pole region. Nikon’s full-frame Z9 flagship has already been used in thermal, vacuum, and radiation testing before the agreement, with a modified version of the camera forming the base of the HULC system alongside Nikkor lenses.

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