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Finally, Hi-Def Streaming Video of the ISS's View of Earth

Posted by timothy on from the extra-monitor-over-the-crib dept.

An anonymous reader writes with a snippet from ExtremeTech: "After being continuously inhabited for more than 13 years, it is finally possible to log into Ustream and watch the Earth spinning on its axis in glorious HD. This video feed [embedded at ExtremeTech] comes from from four high-definition cameras, delivered by last month's SpaceX CRS-3 resupply mission, that are attached to the outside of the International Space Station. You can open up the Ustream page at any time, and as long as it isn't night time aboard the ISS, you'll be treated to a beautiful view of the Earth from around 250 miles (400 km) up."

22 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Seems to be actually working about 5% of the time. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think I have checked about 20 times with one success. And the quality was not great the one time it was working.

  2. By HD by TFlan91 · · Score: 5, Informative

    By HD they mean 480p, or atleast that's what the "ustream" maxes at

  3. Useless by scarboni888 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just a grey square. So much for the hype.

    1. Re:Useless by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 2

      I think UStream just got "slashdotted" as we call it here... too many users, not enough bandwidth.

    2. Re:Useless by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Funny

      A grey square? So it's not that much dissimilar from a pale blue pixel...if you stand from it at a sufficient distance, at night.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    3. Re:Useless by Teun · · Score: 2

      Sorry but it is over a 'restricted' area, wait till it's back over Disneyworld.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    4. Re:Useless by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2

      A gray dot is just a round gray square.

    5. Re:Useless by dohzer · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not just any grey square, but a high definition grey square!

    6. Re:Useless by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2

      Just a grey square. So much for the hype.

      They can't help that. It's "space fog".

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    7. Re:Useless by Christian+Smith · · Score: 2

      ... All Japanese, although TFA is at pains to point out that there was some seemingly minor American involvement too. Are there any major camera manufacturers left in the US?

      Well, it is the International Space Station, not the American Space Station (though that would have a much better initialism.)

    8. Re:Useless by Luckyo · · Score: 2

      That would also be an "uninhabited" space station at the moment if that were true.

  4. Or you just link to the actual source ... by fewnorms · · Score: 5, Informative

    instead of providing ExtremeTech many pageviews. You can find the uStream link right here.

    --
    Veni, Vidi, Velcro!
    1. Re:Or you just link to the actual source ... by ckedge · · Score: 4, Informative

      Thanks! And here's a good link for the ISSs current position and track: http://iss.astroviewer.net/

    2. Re:Or you just link to the actual source ... by Namarrgon · · Score: 3, Informative

      Official NASA site - has video as well as current position.

      Grey for me right now, which presumably means the ISS is out of signal. Perhaps better in 15 mins when it passes over Japan..

      --
      Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
  5. HD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    By HD, they mean looking at nothing but grey?

    1. Re:HD? by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 5, Funny

      But it's a very highly defined grey. Look at that fidelity.

  6. Re:Direct Link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    also explanation

    "During 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. "

  7. What have we done? by houghi · · Score: 5, Funny

    OMG we slashdotted the ISS.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  8. Re:Seems to be actually working about 5% of the ti by kenwd0elq · · Score: 2

    I think it's just overwhelmed; I was able to get on the first time I tried, bu haven't been able to get the video since.

  9. Re:They must have mastered the live video modifyin by LoRdTAW · · Score: 2

    Nah. The resolution coupled with the extreme distance from the earths surface will not reveal anything of importance.

  10. Now in HD! by TheRhinoplast · · Score: 2

    Why has it taken this long to re-render it in HD? Blender could have done this years ago.

  11. Add "flash required" as a tag by ajyand · · Score: 2

    What's the point of HD if it needs flash.