Houston, we are go for live streaming from space

By PHIL PLAIT - BAD ASTRONOMY
Added: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 UTC

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/02/05/houston-we-are-go-for-live-streaming-from-space/

We live in the future.

Don't believe me? Then why not sit back, relax, and watch this live video stream from frakking space.

That's right: we can now watch video, live, from the International Space Station.

Welcome to the world of TOMORROW!

This is very cool. You can watch live as the astronauts on board do their duty, see shots outside the portal to view the station components, and even watch as the Earth rolls by under the station at 8 kilometers per second. Wow.

This is precisely the kind of thing I've been harassing my friends at NASA media to implement for years. I'm glad they've finally done it!

Now, if only they'd allow embedding…

Note from NASA http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/iss_details.html

Live Space Station Video

Live Space Station Video includes internal views from cameras in the International Space Station's Destiny Laboratory and Harmony module when the resident astronauts are on duty. Earth views from external cameras on the station's structure will be available during crew off-duty periods.

The video will be accompanied by live audio of conversations between the crew and the Mission Control network. When the space shuttle is docked to the station, the stream will include video and audio of those activities.

Television from the station is available only when the complex is in contact with the ground through its high-speed communications antenna and NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. During "loss of signal" periods, Internet viewers may see a test pattern or a graphical world map that depicts the station's location in orbit above the Earth using real-time telemetry sent to Mission Control from the station.

Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it sees a sunrise or a sunset every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but also may provide spectacular views of city lights below.

The streaming video is being webcast as part of NASA's celebration of the 10th anniversary of the space station in orbit.

ISS tracking map
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/tracking/index.html

TAGGED: COMMENTARY, SPACE, TECHNOLOGY