Vancouver-based UrtheCast has declared the spacewalk and reinstallation of two HD cameras on the International Space Station (ISS) a success. Spacewalk EVA-37a was broadcast online in a webcast that began at 2.10pm on the 27 January.
The two earth imaging cameras were installed on the Russian segment of the ISS by Cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryanzansky. The telemetry was received by Mission Control Central near Moscow.
The cameras will be used to help detect geographical changes using video footage that can be requested by the public. The company says that the near real time footage can also be used to assist relief workers during crises.
The two UrtheCast cameras had been previously installed and removed during a spacewalk on 27 December 2013 (EVA-37) when issues with the data path had arisen. On the second attempt however, all of the tests had been successfully completed.
‘With the cameras now successfully installed and communicating with Mission Control, UrtheCast can now focus on the routine commissioning of the cameras in preparation for the unveiling of our Ultra HD, colour video of Earth,’ said UrtheCast’s chief executive officer, Scott Larson.
