NASA, Nikon to Continue Developing Lunar Camera

NASA and Nikon have entered into a Space Act Agreement partnership to develop a camera that will be used for the Artemis III lunar mission.

Under the agreement, NASA and Nikon will work on the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera, a space-grade camera that can withstand lunar environments. The HULC comprises a modified Nikon Z 9 mirrorless camera and Nikkor lenses, NASA’s thermal blanket designed for dust and temperature protection and custom controls designed by NASA engineers for astronauts.

Work on HULC started with NASA performing initial testing on the Z 9. HULC will be the first handheld mirrorless camera to be used on the moon.

The camera will be deployed on the International Space Station for a demonstration before it gets used for Artemis III, NASA said Thursday.

The space agency has been partnering with commercial entities on multiple projects in preparation for future Artemis missions.

Recently, NASA partnered with Axiom Space to test a next-generation lunar spacesuit, which is designed to be used for Artemis III. According to NASA, testers performed maneuverability tasks that will be done during moonwalks.

For transportation, NASA awarded Blue Origin and SpaceX contract options under the Human Landing System contract to develop crewed lunar landers that can carry large cargo to the moon. The cargo vehicle is expected to be part of the Artemis VII mission.