Apple Celebrates Artemis II Splashdown and iPhone's Deep Space Debut

Apple CEO Tim Cook and marketing chief Greg Joswiak have welcomed home the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission, marking the completion of the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission concluded after a nine-day journey that took the four-person crew farther from Earth than any humans in history.



During the mission, the astronauts used a silver iPhone 17 Pro Max to document their surroundings and the lunar flyby. The mission also coincided with Apple's 50th anniversary on April 1.


Tim Cook welcomed the Artemis II crew home in a post on X, writing: "Congratulations to Artemis II on a successful mission! You captured the wonders of space and our planet beautifully, taking iPhone photography to new heights, and we're grateful you shared it with the world. Your work continues to inspire us all to think different. Welcome home!"

Greg Joswiak also shared his excitement, welcoming the crew home and noting the significance of the iPhone's presence on the mission.

He added: "Welcome home to the Artemis II crew! Honored that NASA astronauts brought iPhone to space with them. One small step for iPhone. One giant leap for space selfies."

Artemis II launched on April 1, 2026, as the first crewed flight of NASA's Artemis program and the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than five decades. During its lunar flyby, the crew set a new human distance record from Earth, reaching 252,756 miles and surpassing the mark previously set by Apollo 13.


The Orion capsule splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10 local time, and the astronauts are now beginning post-landing evaluations. The images offer a glimpse of how the iPhone 17 Pro Max performed during the mission.