Privacy Policy
Artemis Lens is an unofficial companion app for NASA's Artemis II mission. Most of the app - live mission data, the 3D trajectory viewer, Sky Finder AR, timeline, gallery, story cards, and your local journal - runs entirely on your device and collects nothing. A subset of the app (the optional Explorers Hub social feed, and crash reporting) does involve data that leaves your device, and this policy explains exactly what and why.
What the app does
Artemis Lens displays live mission data from NASA's public Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons API and helps you visualize, understand, and locate the Orion spacecraft. It also hosts an optional social feed (the Explorers Hub) where signed-in users can post, comment, and share Artemis-related content.
Information the app accesses on your device
The app requests access to certain device features only when needed. The data below never leaves your device.
- Location. Used only to compute where the Orion spacecraft is in the sky relative to your current position. Your location never leaves your device and is never stored. If you deny this permission, the app falls back to Kennedy Space Center as a default.
- Camera. Used only by the Sky Finder AR feature as a background for the trajectory overlay. No images are captured, saved, or transmitted by the AR feature.
- Motion sensors (compass, accelerometer). Used only to determine which direction your phone is pointing so the app can guide you toward Orion. No motion data leaves your device.
- Notifications. Used only for optional local reminders about upcoming mission milestones. All notifications are scheduled and delivered entirely on your device. Nothing is sent to a remote server.
- Photo library. Used only when you attach an image to a post in the Explorers Hub. Images you do not explicitly attach are never accessed.
Information we do collect (only when you use the Hub or sign in)
If you choose to sign in to post in the Explorers Hub, we collect the minimum information needed to run the feed:
- Account information. When you sign in with Google, we receive and store your Google account's email address, display name, Firebase user ID, and profile photo URL. These are stored on our servers (hosted on Railway) and are used to identify your posts and comments. Signing in is entirely optional - the rest of the app works without an account.
- Hub posts and comments. Anything you post in the Hub (text, links, and images you attach) is transmitted to our servers and stored. Posts are public to other Hub users by default. You can delete your own posts from within the app.
- Images uploaded to Hub posts. Uploaded images are stored in Firebase Storage. Only images you explicitly attach to a post are uploaded.
- Moderation data. If you report a post or block a user, we store that report or block (reporter ID, target, reason, timestamp) so our moderation team can act on it and so your block list is remembered across devices.
- Crash reports and diagnostics. We use Sentry to collect anonymized crash reports and performance data. This includes the model of your device, OS version, app version, stack traces, and a random device identifier that lets us deduplicate crashes. It does NOT include your account information or Hub content. Crash reports help us diagnose and fix bugs.
We do not collect this data from users who never sign in. If you never tap "Sign in" in the app, nothing of yours is stored on our servers except anonymized crash reports.
Data we do not collect
- No analytics or behavior tracking (we don't track what screens you visit, how long you use the app, etc.)
- No advertising identifiers
- No cookies, no device fingerprinting
- No payment information (the app is free with no in-app purchases)
- No sharing of your data with advertisers or data brokers
- No access to your contacts, calendar, photos (other than images you explicitly attach to Hub posts), or other apps' data
Third-party services
The app uses the following services:
- JPL Horizons API (ssd.jpl.nasa.gov) - spacecraft and Moon position data. Anonymous requests with no personal information.
- NASA Images API (images.nasa.gov) - public Artemis II mission photos. Anonymous requests.
- Firebase Authentication (Google) - handles sign-in via Google. Covered by Google's Privacy Policy.
- Firebase Storage (Google) - stores images you attach to Hub posts.
- Sentry (sentry.io) - anonymized crash reports. Covered by Sentry's Privacy Policy.
How moderation works
To keep the Explorers Hub safe, we review reports of posts or users that violate our Community Guidelines. When you submit a report, we store who reported what, why, and when, so our moderation team can act on it (typically within 24 hours). Posts that violate the guidelines are hidden from other users. Repeat offenders may have their account suspended. See the Community Guidelines for more detail.
Children's privacy
Artemis Lens is suitable for all ages. The Hub requires a Google sign-in, and children using the app should only sign in with parental guidance in line with Google's account requirements. The app includes a Kid Mode with family-friendly explanations. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 for marketing or tracking purposes.
Data security
All data transmitted between the app and our servers is protected by HTTPS/TLS. Hub posts, account info, and moderation records are stored in a managed PostgreSQL database with access limited to our production deployment. Images are stored in Firebase Storage with Google's standard access controls. Your preferences, journal entries, and achievements continue to be stored locally on your device and are removed when you uninstall the app.
Your rights
You can:
- Delete any of your own Hub posts from within the app.
- Block users whose posts you don't want to see.
- Email hello@artemislens.app to request deletion of your account and all associated data (Hub posts, blocks, reports, account record). We aim to complete deletion within 30 days.
- Email the same address to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
You can uninstall the app at any time to remove all locally stored data. Account and Hub data persist on our servers until you request deletion.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions or feedback about this privacy policy? Email hello@artemislens.app. See also our Community Guidelines.
Not affiliated with NASA
Artemis Lens is an independent companion app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASA or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The authoritative source for Artemis II remains nasa.gov. All mission data shown in the app is retrieved from NASA's public APIs.