Experiment

COTS HDTV-EF successfully obtained Earth surface video image under the space environment

HVR-A1J is used for the COTS HDTV-EF

At 11:00 a.m. on August 19, 2012, the Commercial off-the-shelf, High Definition TV camera - Exposed Facility (COTS HDTV-EF), one of the components of the Multi-mission Consolidated Equipment (MCE) installed on the Exposed Facility of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module, has successfully obtained the high definition video image of Earth for the first time in the world as a commercial-off-the-shelf product sold to the public.

The onboard two cameras will film their just below Earth surface covering a range of 200 km x 350 km for one year.

Quality of the video data is to be evaluated and the application in the field of public affairs and education are in review. If the COTS HDTV-EF sold to the public are proved to be effective in space vacuum environment, other same quality level of commercialized products may be applied to the ISS or other man-made satellites.

MCE location on the EF of Kibo (left) and COTS HDTV-EF (right) (Credit: JAXA)

Image data taken by COTS HDTV-EF cameras, first filmed on August 19, 2012 (over Australia)

August 24 (over East coast of the North American continent)

August 29 (Northern area of the South American continent)

*All times are Japan Standard Time (JST)