. 24/7 Space News .
TECH SPACE
NASA's Artemis I cameras to offer new views of Orion, Earth, Moon
by Erika Peters for JSC News
Houston TX (SPX) Nov 17, 2022

The cameras on NASA's Orion spacecraft.

During Artemis I, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will send the agency's Orion spacecraft on a trek 40,000 miles beyond the Moon before returning to Earth. To capture the journey, the rocket and spacecraft are equipped with cameras that will collect valuable engineering data and share a unique perspective of humanity's return to the Moon.

There are 24 cameras on the rocket and spacecraft - eight on SLS and 16 on Orion - to document essential mission events including liftoff, ascent, solar array deployment, external rocket inspections, landing and recovery, and capture images of Earth and the Moon.

On the rocket, four cameras around the engine section point up toward Orion, two cameras at the intertank by the top of boosters will capture booster separation, and two cameras on the launch vehicle stage adapter will capture core stage separation. The eight cameras will cycle through a preprogrammed sequence during launch and ascent.

On Orion, an external camera mounted on the crew module adapter will show the SLS rocket's ascent, providing the "rocket cam" view the public often sees during launches. Another camera will provide a view of service module panel jettison and solar array wing deployment. Four cameras attached to the spacecraft's solar array wings on the service module will help engineers assess the overall health of the outside of Orion and can capture a selfie view of the spacecraft with the Earth or Moon in the background.

"Each of Orion's four solar array wings has a commercial off-the-shelf camera mounted at the tip that has been highly modified for use in space, providing a view of the spacecraft exterior," said David Melendrez, imagery integration lead for the Orion Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The arrays can adjust their position relative to the rest of the spacecraft, which will optimize the collection of sunlight converted into electricity to power Orion. This also allows flight controllers in the Mission Control Center at NASA Johnson to point the cameras at different parts of the spacecraft for inspections and to document its surroundings, including the Earth and Moon.

A specialized camera on the crew module adapter used for optical navigation and to help pinpoint Orion's location in deep space will be used to collect imagery of the Moon during Orion's closest approach to the lunar surface. Also affixed to the crew module adapter but pointed inward, another camera is positioned to capture imagery of Orion's heat shield after the crew module separates from the service module before its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

Inside the spacecraft, three more wireless cameras can capture the perspectives astronauts will have on future Artemis missions, with one camera looking out the front pilot window and a second looking over the shoulder of the commander seat, where the instrument panel will be located on future missions. A third in-cabin camera will look out the top hatch window to provide views of launch abort system jettison during ascent as well as parachute deployment during landing and recovery.

There are also two external high-speed cameras dedicated to monitoring parachute operations, which technicians will download and process after the flight.

The images and video collected by the Orion cameras will come in a variety of formats, ranging from standard-definition to high-definition and up to 4K. Each is tailored for a specific use and dependent on the bandwidth available during the mission to send to Earth or recorded on board to be analyzed after the mission ends. Due to bandwidth limitations on the spacecraft that prioritize transmitting critical data to the ground, livestream video quality will be lower than the onboard recordings. As a result, some of the highest quality views may not be received until well after they are recorded and can be downlinked.

The field of view of each camera has been optimized to look at the spacecraft, not deep space, and imagery for the Artemis I flight will depend on a variety of factors such as lighting, spacecraft orientation, and communication capabilities during different mission phases.

"A lot of folks have an impression of Earthrise based on the classic Apollo 8 shot," Melendrez said. "Images captured during the mission will be different than what humanity saw during Apollo missions, but capturing milestone events such as Earthrise, Orion's farthest distance from Earth, and lunar flyby will be a high priority."

Orion also will carry cameras that are part of a technology demonstration, called Callisto. The Callisto payload includes three in-cabin cameras that will be used to test video conferencing capabilities and may enhance the public's ability to imagine themselves inside Orion.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence, and serving as a steppingstone to send astronauts to Mars.


Related Links
Artemis I
Space Technology News - Applications and Research


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


TECH SPACE
L3Harris infrared weather forecasting technology launches on NOAA satellite
Melbourne FL (SPX) Nov 11, 2022
L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) reports that its Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), designed to enhance severe weather detection capabilities, was successfully launched aboard NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System-2 weather satellite. As one of the world's most advanced hyperspectral sounders and a key sensor on the JPSS-2 satellite, the CrIS instrument has over 2,000 infrared channels - 100 times more than its predecessor. This technology improves NOAA's prediction of hurricanes, tornadoes and o ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TECH SPACE
AFRL awards contract for pioneering spacecraft in region of Moon

Calnetix Technologies' high-speed blower system delivered to ISS

SmartSat CRC and NASA team up to collaborate on astronaut emergency communications

S.S. Sally Ride delivers experiments to International Space Station

TECH SPACE
To orbit and back with Space Rider

NASA Awards SpaceX Second Contract Option for Artemis Moon Landing

LOFTID inflatable heat shield test a success, early results show

Rocket Factory Augsburg to use test infrastructure at DLR Lampoldshausen

TECH SPACE
Mars was covered by 300 meter deep oceans

Perseverance investigates intriguing Martian bedrock

Martian dust storms churn up Earth-like clouds

The first life in our solar system may have been on Mars

TECH SPACE
Shenzhou XIV taikonauts perform third spacewalk

Galactic Energy carries out fourth successful launch

China launches spacecraft carrying cargo for space station

China's cargo spacecraft sets new world record

TECH SPACE
Einstein Industries Ventures joins ESA Investor Network

Satellite broadband firms join forces

SFL contracted for 15 additional HawkEye 360 RF geolocation microsatellites

AE Industrial Partners completes investment in York Space Systems

TECH SPACE
How NASA's Deep Space Network Supports the Agency's Missions

NASA Webb Telescope micrometeoroid mitigation update

NASA's Artemis I cameras to offer new views of Orion, Earth, Moon

ESA experiences COP27 using a space-empowered metaverse

TECH SPACE
Colliding magnetic fields reveal unknown planets

"Polluted" white dwarfs show that stars and planets grow together

Early planetary migration can explain missing planets

Oldest planetary debris in our galaxy found from new study

TECH SPACE
Mars and Jupiter moons meet

NASA studies origins of dwarf planet Haumea

NASA study suggests shallow lakes in Europa's icy crust could erupt

Sharpest Earth-based images of Europa and Ganymede reveal their icy landscape









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.