The first ever 360-degree video taken in space has been released. The video was shot while a pair of Russian cosmonauts were launching nanosatellites from outside of the International Space Station. In the video you can see the pair working and you can pan around and see what the duo is doing.
It came from outer space! Actually, it went to outer space. We’re talking about Sony’s nearly two-year old full-frame mirrorless camera, the (alpha) A7s II. In addition to its boasted top of the line (as of 2015) features, the camera can now boast of being the first commercial camera to have the honor of staying outside the International Space Station to capture 4K video of the Earth, of space, and of everything in between.
Google Street View has escaped Earth and made it to the International Space Station, with the first-person Google Maps add-on venturing out into zero gravity. European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet spent half a year on the ISS, returning to Earth last month. While on the orbiting research platform he captured numerous Street View images which Google has now released publicly.
Japan's space agency has an adorable ball-shaped camera that looks like something from Wall-E, and it is live on the International Space Station right now. The camera, which is called Int-Ball, comes from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and it qualifies as a camera drone of sorts. Despite its location in space, operators can control this camera drone from Earth.
A failed computer will result in two astronauts conducting an emergency spacewalk at the International Space Station tomorrow, NASA has announced, enabling the ISS to resume operations with its primary (rather than backup) system. The computer is one of two units that control systems on the space station, though NASA reassures everyone that none of the astronauts have been or will be in danger from the computer failure.
Thanks to some historic events in space science, being an astronaut has once again become a “cool” career path. Of course, that chances of actually being chosen for a space mission are very slim. The next best thing? Getting a taste of what it’s like to live and work as an astronaut, made possible with virtual reality. That is exactly the “close enough” experience that Oculus is offering with Mission:ISS, which will let you at least see if you have what it takes to live among the stars.
Researchers at the International Space Station have managed to catch rare blue lightning on camera, giving everyone a look at the phenomenon commonly only spotted by pilots. Such blue flashes aren’t something you’re likely to see from the ground, as they tend to happen above thunderstorms, making them visible to planes above the clouds. In an effort to better study them, the researchers were asked to point a special camera above one such thunderstorm.
Algae can survive exposure in space for a long duration of time, according to the results of a relatively recent experiment aboard (sort of) the International Space Station. The results have been described as ‘astonishing,’ with researchers finding that despite exposure to the vacuum of space, extreme temperature changes, and both UV and cosmic radiation, the algae was able to survive for 16 months on the exterior of the ISS, demonstrating an incredible hardiness.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsule won't start flying until next year, but when it does, a significant number of its components will be made through 3D printing. Boeing has recruited Oxford Performance Materials to produce around 600 parts for these space taxis, and these parts are offering some major benefits to Boeing without much in the way of negative trade-offs.
The 22 member states that participate in the European Space Agency (ESA) met for two days recently in Switzerland and came to the decision to continue ESA participation in the International Space Station (ISS). The ESA member states voted to extend participation in the ISS through 2024. The decision makes the ESA the final ISS partner that has agreed to extend participation.
Russian officials were well into the investigation late last week into what happened to cause the loss of the Progress cargo spacecraft that was supposed to be heading to the ISS. The unmanned cargo ship burned up in the atmosphere above the Tuva region of Siberia shortly after launch. As of Friday no debris had been found in the area of the crash.
Bad news for those in the International Space Station looking forward to a fresh batch of food and supplies, after a Russian cargo ship was destroyed during launch today. The unmanned Progress MS-04 cargo spacecraft was meant to deliver 2.6 tons of fuel and other goods to the orbiting research platform to the Expedition 50 group currently onboard. However, just over six minutes after takeoff, telemetry from the craft cut out.
