The Hasselblad NASA Used in Orbit — and How It Ended Up on My Table – Jo Geier – Mint & Rare

June 25, 2026 Jo Geier

In this video I present an exceptionally rare Hasselblad 203 S — "S" for space -
a 203 FE modified by Hasselblad specifically for NASA.

Only around 30 were ever produced. Eighteen are said to live in institutions and museums, and just two are in private hands. This is one of them.
What makes it more than a collector's curiosity: this camera actually flew. It went up on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-111, classified as Class 1 flight material until the year of the Columbia tragedy — not a training unit, but a tool that worked in orbit.

A closer look at what sets it apart:

– Space-grade lubricants replacing the standard ones, for use in vacuum and extreme temperatures
– The power winder from the Hasselblad 503 CW, chosen by NASA over the smaller 203 FE winder
– NASA body serial 1040, matched to its Hensoldt prism finder and 503 CW winder
– The original 70mm magazine and data module, each with their own NASA identification numbers
– The distinctive blue Velcro NASA inventory stickers — so equipment could be anchored to the spacecraft walls instead of drifting in microgravity

Please click on the image to watch the video:

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