Live HD view of Earth from the International Space Station

The international Space Station from STS-130 in December 2010.

There is a very Cool High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) camera on the International Space Station, located here. The HDEV research investigation places four commercially available high definition cameras on the exterior of the space station for use in streaming live video of Earth for online viewing. The cameras are enclosed in a temperature-specific case and exposed to the harsh radiation of the space environment. Analysis of the effect of space on the video quality during the HDEV operational period may help engineers determine the best types of commercially available cameras to use on future missions. Using available products may be more cost-effective than designing new products. High school students helped design some of the cameras’ components, through the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware program, and student teams will operate the experiment. Click here to read more about HDEV.

Click here to view the HDEV ustream feed together with the ISS’ position in orbit (courtesy of ESA)