According to The Verge, NASA has been working with Nikon. The objective is to create a mirrorless camera (called HULC), for astronauts to use, on the Artemis III mission. This would serve the purpose of documenting the return to the Moon.
The agreement between NASA and Nikon is made, but the mission should not begin before September 2026. Apparently, the objective is to study the south pole of the Moon. Scientists believe that there is ice water contained there in shadowed craters.
The chamber will have thermal blankets made by NASA to protect from dust
In the feasibility of this study, a “slight” problem arises related to technical difficulties. Apparently, in this specific area, the lighting conditions are adverse, as is the temperature, which could be an obstacle to the mission.
At the moment, the phase is still testing. Even so, it is noteworthy that the design of the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) will contain thermal blankets made by NASA. The objective is to protect the camera from dust, extreme temperatures, as well as possible impacts from radiation (via The Verge).
Even though, as Nikon says, the brand has been “on board” of every space flight since the Apollo 15 Mission in 1971, this new technology will be different from what we have already seen in similar experiences.
Unlike other missions, HULC will have still images and videos on one device
Illustrative Image (via Pexels and Canva)
For this new partnership, the camera is intended to have a viewfinder and all the video features of the Nikon Z9. What does this translate into in practice? Astronauts could obtain still images and videos in one device.
Going back in time a little, it is possible to see that, in the Apollo mission, the situation was a little different. At the time, astronauts had two cameras: one for taking photographs, the other for taking videos.
According to NASA, it will be the first time a woman has set foot on the Moon.
Still on the Artemis III mission, it is important to note that it is a project full of firsts. In addition to having a type of camera never used before on the Moon, “the agency will land the first woman, the first black person and the first international partner astronaut on the surface of the Moon”, as NASA says.