TORONTO – NASA has placed high-definition cameras on the International Space Station to stream live video of Earth from space.
The four HD cameras have been placed on the outside of the ISS as part of an experiment to determine whether cameras are able to survive and function “in the extreme radioactive environment of low Earth orbit.”
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Activated on April 30, the cameras from the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment are enclosed in a pressurized and temperature-controlled housing.
Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, viewers who watch long enough may be able to see a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes.
WATCH THE LIVE STREAM BELOW:
Between camera switches, a gray and then black colour slate will briefly appear. Since the ISS is in darkness during part of each orbit, the images will be dark at those times. During the periods of loss of signal with the ground or when HDEV is not operating, a gray color slate or previously recorded video may be seen.
NASA says part of the equipment components were designed with the help of high school students through the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) program.
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Last year, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield took command of the International Space Station (ISS). Through colourful and detailed images, live chats and video, Hadfield provided a greater level of intimacy with an astronaut than the world had ever seen.
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