Since the Apollo 15 mission more than 50 years ago, Nikon cameras and lenses have been used by NASA for space exploration on various missions and the space shuttles. Starting in 1999, Nikon cameras (Nikon F5) and Nikkor lenses have been used aboard the orbiting laboratory to aid in scientific research, maintenance, and aiding astronauts capturing the iconic images of Earth, the heavens, and beyond. The gear is used both inside the space station, but also in the unrelenting vacuum of space in a special “blanket” developed by NASA. In 2008, NASA took delivery of the D2XS digital SLR, and in 2013, 38 Nikon D4 digital SLR cameras and 64 Nikkor lenses were delivered to the space station crew.
