The Space Act agreement is a collaboration between NASA and Nikon to ensure the camera can survive lunar environments while developing a platform for image and video capture for the mission.

The Nikon Z 9, Nikon’s mirrorless full-frame flagship, as implemented in the HULC system, will be the handheld camera for the upcoming Artemis III mission which will be used by the crew returning to the surface of the Moon.

According to NASA, the goal of the Artemis III mission is to return humanity to the lunar surface and to make history by sending also the first humans to the lunar South Pole region.

It will also establish a foundation for long-term scientific lunar research and exploration. It may establish the Moon as a passageway for travel to Mars.

The Artemis III mission is scheduled to launch NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket with the agency’s Orion spacecraft in September 2026.

The crew’s historic expedition will be the first human landing on the lunar surface since 1972, and this mission will also mark the first time a woman will walk on the Moon.

During this 30-day mission, the crew will enter lunar orbit, after which two astronauts will land on the lunar surface in the lunar module (SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System).

After spending seven days on the lunar surface conducting research and multiple moonwalks, they will return to the Orion spacecraft to join the other two crew members and return to Earth.

Nikon’s engineers are working closely with NASA to develop cameras that can withstand harsh lunar conditions. The solutions include redesigning various circuits and control sequences within the camera to combat vast amounts of radiation.

Support will also be given for vacuum thermal testing, running various tests and simulations to help ensure that the camera maintains operational status as it is 383,000 kilometres (238,000 miles) away from Earth.

Additionally, the camera will be used by astronauts during extravehicular activities (EVA), instances when the crew will be in space or on moonwalks.

NASA is developing a custom grip for astronauts so they can easily use Z 9 when wearing the thick gloves of a spacesuit.

This includes common controls such as shutter release, playback, still/video capture switching, and more.

This grip will connect to the camera via the 10-pin terminal, which will be usable with specialised custom firmware created for the cameras.

To protect the camera, lens, and housing during EVA, a special “thermal blanket” will be created by NASA, which is similar to those currently used during exterior spacewalks by International Space Station astronauts.

A selection of Nikkor Z lenses will also be used for the mission, and those that will be actively used on the Moon will be modified to withstand the harsh lunar environment.

The camera’s firmware will also be modified for this mission, which include accounting for the different circuitry, expanding noise reduction to lower shutter speeds to account for the effects of constant bombardment of cosmic radiation that the crew and gear encounter.

Additional changes have been made to the file naming sequence, as well as default settings and controls that are optimised for exterior missions.

The in-camera communication control was also updated to simplify the astronaut’s workflow and reduce power consumption when sending images from space to Earth.

Additional modifications include shutter shield optimisation, enhanced HDR functionality, and modified default settings for menu items.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 04 March 2024.