Some time ago, Nikon signed a contract with NASA to create a digital mirrorless camera for filming on the lunar surface. This will be the world's first mirrorless camera to work in vacuum and low temperatures. It will simultaneously allow astronauts to take video and photographic materials, whereas in the Apollo missions separate photographic and film cameras were used for this.
The camera is expected to be ready for man's return to the Moon. This should happen during the Artemis 3 mission. Currently, the timing of this mission has been postponed to the fall of 2026, and a further postponement cannot be ruled out. Thus, Nikon has time to create the ideal device for filming this historical moment.
It seems that one of the best mirrorless cameras of 2021, Nikon Z9, has been chosen as the base platform for the future HULC (handheld universal lunar camera) camera. NASA chose this device to evaluate the characteristics of the future camera required by the agency. It also looks like a prototype camera has already been created and is being tested both in the field (it is used on geological expeditions) and at NASA astronaut training centers. The camera is created to be controlled by the hand in the suit's glove and therefore you need to get used to it.
For use in space, the camera electronics will undergo changes. It must withstand not only low temperatures and vacuum, but also radiation exposure. By the way, the camera will have a viewfinder, something that cameras from the Apollo era lacked. During the test cycles, the camera will also end up on the ISS, where it will be tested for operation in zero gravity and, possibly, outside the station.
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