Nikon and NASA team up to create next-generation camera for lunar missions
Nikon, together with the NASA space agency, is creating a special camera that will be used by astronauts during the Artemis III mission, which aims to return humans to the moon.
The camera is called HULC (Handheld Universal Lunar Camera) and is a modified version of the flagship Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera with Nikkor lenses. The camera is equipped with thermal covers that protect it from dust and extreme temperatures, as well as a special hand control that is convenient for wearing in a space suit.
The HULC will be capable of taking both photos and videos in low light and high radiation conditions that are typical for the lunar surface, especially for the South Pole, where astronauts are expected to land. This region of the Moon contains water ice in permanently shadowed craters, making it scientifically interesting but technically challenging to explore.
Next generation🌘#Moon 📷camera – Handheld Universal Lunar Camera(#HULC)– tested in Europe https://t.co/o8ZAQquuVl @NASA @esa #space #PANGEA pic.twitter.com/8MieM4nDkX
– Cady Coleman (@Astro_Cady) October 26, 2023
The Artemis III mission is scheduled for 2026 and will be the first time in 54 years that a human will set foot on the Moon. Previous Apollo missions used large-format cameras without viewfinders that remained on the lunar surface. With the help of HULC, astronauts will be able to take better and more diverse images of the lunar landscape and their activities.
