Industrial camera technology has been used in the creation of a high definition (HD) commercial shot at the edge of space. Eight of Toshiba Imaging's ultra-compact IK-HR1S high-definition, one-piece cameras were recently aboard four missions to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere. Using the imagery captured by the cameras, Toshiba UK produced a 60-second HD commercial of a living room chair as it is carried into space by a simple helium balloon.
The balloon flights were launched from a Nevada desert and ascended to 98,268 feet (18.6 miles) altitude before breaking apart and falling back to earth. The IK-HR1S cameras' compact size (1.75 x 1.75 x 3 inches) and the HD-SDI video output capability with switchable 1080i/720p scanning options, made them ideal for the flight missions to the edge of space.
The footage captures the space chair from launch to upper atmosphere, where the space rig reached the low pressure/temperature at the edge of space, and the helium balloon expanded (from its original 8ft diameter to over 24ft) before shattering.
The custom-built camera rigging, with Toshiba's cameras attached to the frame, was successfully engineered by John Powell of California-based JP Aerospace.
